


A Little Idiotic Happiness

by KT5



Category: The Good Doctor (TV 2017)
Genre: F/M, Future fics, Melendaire, One Shot Collection, Post 3x13
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-01
Updated: 2020-04-28
Packaged: 2021-02-28 03:08:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 32,902
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22516765
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KT5/pseuds/KT5
Summary: With season three baiting Melendaire like crazy, I felt it necessary to start writing my own Fic for the couple.This will be a series of one-shots and I will be accepting prompt suggestions!With that being said I might not take every suggestion given but, I will do my best because I want to write others want to read and not just my own ideas.
Relationships: Claire Browne/Neil Melendez
Comments: 61
Kudos: 287





	1. Its Just Running.

“Why not?”

“What do you mean why not? it's obvious,” Neil laughed jogging along the dimly lit path.

Claire just shook her head picking up her pace, putting a pretty good amount of distance between them.

“Oh, your just gonna race your way out of this?” He accused, catching up with her.

It didn’t take him long to catch up with her, shooting his signature smirk.

“Ow,” he heard from behind him as he passed her.

He stopped and turned around Claire was still, bending over rubbing her ankle.

“You okay?” He asked giving her a once over.

She was catching her breath but, she nodded her head “Yeah I’m good,” she stated with a nod and an unconvincing tone.

“You sur-,”

“Yeah I’m fine,” she reaffirmed.

He stood still while she started to jog she was fine for a few steps before nearly falling over putting pressure on her left foot.

He found himself rushing towards her side. She was on the ground now.

“Okay, there should be a bench a few yards away,” he said looking in its direction.

He held out his hand to her, she took it allowing him to pull her off the ground but, he didn’t stop there pulling her arm over his shoulder he grabbed her swiftly and picked her up. Carrying her towards the bench.

She had to physically hold back a surprised yelp when she found herself being lifted fully off the ground.

“You know I can walk.”

He gave her that smirk again “You also said you were fine before collapsing.”

“I didn’t collapse,” she defended, though she didn’t argue her side any farther.

She couldn’t pretend she didn’t notice how close she was to his face, how she could lean her head slightly and let it rest against his shoulders. Or that she could feel his heartbeat in his chest faster than normal but, usual for after a run and carrying a human almost a hundred yards.

He put her feet down on the ground when they arrived at the bench glad it was morning instead of night, so he could see better. She took off her shoe, and sock while he knelt to examine her injury.

He couldn’t pretend to notice how comfortable they had gotten with each other or how soft her skin was against his rough hands. He also knew she was holding back when he asked her the pain level, she said three but, the bruises already forming and the winces she tried to hide.

“Okay we need to get you to the ER,” He said standing.

“Oh, come on it is not that serious,” she argued looking at her now swollen foot.

“You have bruising all the way down your ankle and foot, not to mention the swelling and your inability to put any pressure-,”

“You didn’t let me put any pressure on it.”

He put his hands up in surrender “fine be my guest,” he said.

She sat on the bench with a quizzical look, she started to stand then stopped again “fine,” she huffed.

He tried not to smile.

She refused to be carried this time, so he put her arm around his shoulder and his on her waist as she hopped the mile back to his car.

It was her luck and only her amazing luck that not only was Shaun and Park in the E.R. but, Morgan as well. Melendez explained to them what happened, and they diagnosed her accordingly she didn’t miss the quizzical looks from Park, Morgan, and Shaun seemed to be preoccupied with proving their skill as doctors.

*****

“So, I’m assuming she’s going to live?” Lim joked pouring herself another coffee.

“Yes, she will be fine, not happy with the boot we gave her but, she preferred that to not being able to work for four weeks.”

“That’s good to hear, I would have missed her on my service,” Andrews said getting up “speaking up I have a meeting with a post-op,” He left the two senior doctors in Lim’s now silent office.

They discussed a surgery they had coming up, a tricky one no doubt the difference between a local state champion state quarterback being able to play his senior season and walk or be pushed across the graduation stage not to mention all the scholarships he would no longer be receiving, his only chance into all the colleges he was looking at. Whatever tiny college fund his parents had been able to scrape up was now going to co-pays and hospital bills.

“I think we are set then we will have all four residents plus Andrews on standby, I think we can do this Neil.”

He smiled at her he missed working with her like this, “Me too,” he agreed, standing to start his round.

Lim took another sip of her coffee, looking him over “So running?” she asked casually.

He didn’t even have to look at her to know the expression she was wearing “Its cathartic, cheap therapy.”

“For you or her?” She asked with genuine concern, and intrigue if she was being honest.

For a split second, he wasn’t going to answer play it off as casual but, this was Lim, Audrey.

“Both.”

She nodded “Okay as long as it’s just running,” she stated, there wasn’t any spite in her voice it was just Lim knowing him all too well.

“Of course.”

****

Claire sat at the table in the conference room looking over post-op scans from her last surgery.

“It looks good,” Park observed.

She cocked her head “Yeah it does.”

“You make it sound like that’s a bad thing,” he observed.

She let out a soft laugh “With my luck it just might be,” she said quietly putting down the scans.

Park gave her another once over, “It was a good surgery Claire take the win,” he advised.

“Are you going over the spinal surgery?” Shaun asked coming into the room Morgan right behind him.

“Are you elevating your foot?” Morgan asked Claire’s eyes rolled immediately.

“Yes, it is elevated and being iced doctors’ orders,” she answered with a quip.

Morgan flashed a confident smile. Claire shook her head again but, couldn’t help but, smile at her friend- colleague, biggest supporter and fiercest competitor. Yeah, she still didn’t really know where they stood it seemed it was starting to depend on the week versus the day so, she guessed that was progress.

“And no Shaun we are not looking over the spinal surgery,” she answered.

“Well then I will,” he declared taking his seat.

There was the unmistakable beep of a pager they all looked at theirs.

“Not so fast Murphy, duty calls.”

Shaun looked disappointed but, he got up and followed Reznick out the door quickly. Leaving Claire and Park once again. The room was silent for a while both deciding to follow Shaun’s lead pulling the files from his spot.

“So, running?” Park asked nonchalantly.

There was so much question in just two words.

“Yep.”

“It helping?” He sounded sincere.

“Yeah it is,” she answered, he pretended not to notice the blush in her cheeks.

****

“You didn’t have to take me home,” Claire said, as Melendez parked in front of her apartment.

he shrugged, “It was the least I could do.”

She scoffed “After taking me to the E.R. and staying with me the entire time, you still think you owe me?”

“Technically I just took you to the E.R. I stayed because I just happened to work there,” he deflected.

She rolled her eyes at him and opened her car door, he followed in suit getting out of the car rushing to help her out of the car. She gave him that look again, the one that made his heart beat a little faster- though most of her looks did that- not that he had noticed it or anything.

He helped her into her house, leaving the pain killers on her counter and reiterating the home instruction care. Which made her laugh.

“You might as well just stay here,” she joked not realizing how quickly a few simple words could take the air right out of the room. She tried to take back her words, but the seed had been planted, it was hard enough for him to leave her as it was.

She knew apart of her didn’t want to see him go but, she also thought she had a pretty good handle on that part of her. There were exclamations and backtracks an all-around awkward garble of words from the two doctors.

“I can stay if you need me?” he said sincerely finally reaching over the words coming from her mouth.

“I mean it is practical just in case,” she added.

“And we're both off tomorrow anyway.”

She had forgotten about that fact, “Well other than today I’m benched for the rest of the week,” she reminded him.

Neither of them really knew how that ended up with him placing his keys and wallet on the counter after going to retrieve his bag from his car. He helped her with her pain meds and got her into bed with minimal awkwardness.

She offered him the guest bedroom which he was going to accept or had technically but, he ended up on the couch papers spread out staring tiredly at his laptop screen.

“You okay?”

He nearly jumped three feet off the couch, turning to see Claire tired and probably taking a detour on the way to the kitchen.

“You should be resting.”

“I am, I just needed some water.”

He moved the laptop off his lap, standing from the couch.

“Here I’ll get it you sit down.”

She was going to protest but, he was already halfway to her kitchen before she could even open her mouth. So, she sat down on the couch looking at his work she recognized it immediately, he sat back down handing her the cup of water.

“Quarterback?” she asked looking over his shoulder, not that she really had to they were so close their shoulders were less than an inch away.

“Yeah,” he sighed.

She sighed, knowing he had been stressed about this surgery since they started planning it, it seemed the only person who was doubting the ability for it to work was him, not his typical style.

After the day they had, and now the night they were sharing in her apartment she felt like she had the liberty to take care of him.

Her hand reached out slowly towards the laptop and shut it slowly, he didn’t protest but, he looked at her with tired and frustrated eyes.

“You need rest too,” she said.

“I’m fine.”

“Aren’t we all,” she countered with a knowing smile, he threw his hands up slightly in defeat. 

And gathered the papers beside him stacking them on the laptop and sliding them into his computer bag. When he turned back to her she was still just as close as when he had moved to gather his things, She looked tired and sweet, she always looked sweet and kind, and pretty – he shook the thoughts from his head.

“Thank you,” she said her voice barely above a whisper.

“Eh like I said it was on my way and this is the least I can do.”

“No, I mean for everything else these last few weeks the runs, the talks, the support all of it thank you,” she reiterated.

He shrugged not really knowing what to say, “You’re a great surgeon dr. Browne and an even better person, you deserve it.”

She couldn’t tell if it was the pain meds or the look in his eyes but, she felt something, something strong enough that made her lean into him in till her lips were on his.

She kissed him hard and hungry before every alarm in her brain went off sound sirens and alarms, she pulled back quickly.

“I’m so sorry-,”

“Don’t be.”

He grabbed her face and pulled her back into him kissing her slow and soft, he didn’t know when or how but, she ended up in his lap holding on to his face while his hand slid up and down her back. The best part about it was to see her break apart from him with that smile that Claire Browne smile he had grown so very fond of.


	2. Murphy's Rarely Wrong

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is a little bit of Shaun and then Claire telling Morgan she kissed a certain doctor.

“You are acting differently,” Shaun commented randomly as he and Claire were reviewing their case file. 

Her head moved up slowly and she stuttered slightly. “Uh I don’t think so, why do you think that?” 

“I do not know, you just seem better,” he stated matter of factly. 

She couldn’t help but smile at that observation though she knew how perceptive Shaun could be. 

“Does it have something to do with Melendez?” 

There it was. 

“Why do you think that?” she asked laughing nervously. 

“He has been acting differently as well but, only when you’re around.” 

She didn’t really know how to deal with the accusation, this wasn’t like the time he had accused her of simply flirting with him, he was onto something and they both knew it whether he realized it or not. 

“Is that all?” she asked cautiously. 

He shook his head. 

“Okay then what else is there Shaun?”    
His demeanor seemed to shift slightly, he took a deep breath like he was preparing himself for this discussion. 

“He looks at you.” 

“He looks at me?” 

He nodded “Lea says looks are important and he looks at you like I think I look at Carly.”

That nervous laughter escaped her again, and shook her head “But, Shaun you love Carly.” 

He nodded his head again. “Yes, I do.” 

He didn’t elaborate on his hypothesis just told her that he had finished, and was going to check on their patient’s labs. 

****

“Okay spill it.” 

Claire turned to Morgan almost jumping, they had been in the room together basically all day with Park and Shaun in and out. 

“What?” she asked cautiously. 

Morgan gave her that very Morgan Reznick look, she turned back to the article in front of her. 

“You don’t have to tell me but, whatever it is it’s distracting you,” she said. 

“No its not,” Claire protest. 

Morgan smirked, Claire groaned she should’ve known. 

“So there is something?” a smirk grew on the blonde’s face. 

Claire thought about it for a minute, “That depends on if you’re going to use it against me or if you’re asking as someone who actually cares?” she asked bluntly. 

Now it was Morgan who was taking a moment to consider her answer, the smirk on her face shifted into a more concerned expression one that looked sincere. 

“I kissed Melendez.” 

The laugh that escaped Morgan’s mouth nearly made Claire jump. 

“Damn I owe Park fifty bucks.” 

“What?!” 

“Don’t worry, I won’t be telling him anytime soon I would like to keep my money for as long as possible, when did it happen?”    
“Two weeks ago.” 

“So, why are you all far away and dramatic now?” 

Claire rolled her eyes at the question, “Because, Shaun said something weird today I don’t know, wasn’t what I expected him to say.” 

“Murphy says something weird every day you’re going to have to do better than that.”

The doctor found herself rolling her eyes again. This wasn’t a good idea she never really knew where she stood with Reznick and this was information that wouldn’t just hurt her if it got around. But she also didn’t know who else to talk too, other then Melendez but, she wasn’t quite ready for that.

“He said that Melendez and I have been acting differently and that he noticed it was only when we were each other.” 

“So he caught you being awkward?” 

Claire shook her head “That wasn’t the weird part, he said that Melendez looks at me the way he thinks he looks at Carly,” Claire finished she started shaking her head with a nervous laugh rocking through her throat. 

Morgan was oddly quite after a few moments Claire looked at from across the table, their eye contact remained strong as the blonde cocked her head again, her expression softening even more than it had earlier. 

“Well Murphy’s rarely wrong,” she spoke softly. 

The room went silent again the two doctors shared a soft smile and went back to the papers in front of them. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!! I really appreciate it and would love to hear what you think and again I am taking prompt suggestions.


	3. Bad Decisions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a fic for a possible scenario after 3x14 'Influence' it was requested by claudiapsmc so I hope you all like it and hopefully this gives you some of what you are wanting till we see what really happens on Monday.  
> I am also writing a V-day fic because why not? so I should have that up by tonight.
> 
> Also as a reminder this is a one shot series so the events of chapters one and two are seperate/ different stories from this chapter.

“There’s nothing to address I told you there’s nothing improper going on,” Neil responded. 

Lim gave him a look he knew well. “I wish I could believe that.” 

“Why can’t you? You know me, you know who I am, as a surgeon and a teacher.” 

“I do but, I also know you, Neil,” she spoke evenly. 

He started to say something, but she stopped him. 

“I am going to take Dr. Browne off your service for the next couple of rotations we will not be addressing this with her given that the complaint was filed against you-,” 

“Audrey-.” 

She looked him in the eyes, “You’re right I do know you. You’re a great teacher and an even better surgeon but, I’ve seen it.” 

His face was starting to get hot. 

“I see the look on your face when she’s in a room the way you smile when talking about her.” 

“What are you trying to say, Audrey?” 

She shrugged her shoulders that wasn’t something she usually did. 

“It’s not my place as your chief to discuss these things with you.” 

He shook his head “What happened to my friend, you replace her with my ex.” he hadn’t meant for that to come across as harsh as it did. 

Lim just brushed him off “Well actually is seems all three of us seem to be in agreement,” she shot back, "Dr. Browne is off your service in till further notice," with that she left the room. 

*****

“Come in,” Lim called to whoever was knocking on her office door, she hadn’t paid any attention when her assistant told her who it was. 

The door opened and shut before she looked up from her computer trying to finish the last couple sentences on the report she was writing. 

“Dr. Browne.” she greeted evenly. “What can I do for you?” 

“I would like to know why I was taken off of Dr. Melendez’s service,” she answered. 

Lim sighed she should have known this was coming but, it had already been a week and she had hoping Claire wouldn’t notice as if that was possible. 

She motioned to the chair in front of her the young doctor sat down. 

“I decided to take you off his service in till further notice, you seem to be on his more than anyone else and I want to make sure you have a well-rounded education,” It annoyed her how phony that sounded she was usually better prepared than this. 

Claire looked like she wanted to say something, more but she thought better of it instead she just got up and walked out of Lim’s office. 

“Did you request to have me off your service?”

Neil’s head snapped up to see Claire standing in his door. 

“I thought you had surgery with Andrews today?” was the only thing that came out of his mouth. 

“It got moved up to this morning she’s in ICU, stable will be waking her up in an hour.” 

“That’s great it’s always hard with young kids.” 

She nodded in agreement, still standing her ground as the room went silent. He looked up at her and raised her eyebrows reiterating her question without having to speak. 

“No, I did not request for you to be off my service.” 

“So why am I?” 

“You’ll have to take that up with Lim.” 

“I did,” he looked at her slightly surprised. “She gave me some bull-shit about me being on your service more than anyone else’s and that she wanted me to have a well-rounded education.” 

He gave her a warning look they were friends both of them could at least admit that but, she still shouldn’t be telling her superior she thought the chief of surgery was telling her bullshit. Even if she was right. 

Melendez took a breath he was already in trouble technically and the last thing he wanted was for her to think it was his decision to take her off his service. For reason, he could quite admit to himself. 

“There was a complaint brought up against me,” she looked surprised “It was anonymous so no I don’t know who it was but, they claimed I show favoritism towards you and Lim thought it was best to take you off my service.” 

“For how long?” 

“I don’t know but, after so we discussed it I did agree.” 

Now she just looked hurt. 

“You just told me this wasn’t you.” 

“Originally it wasn’t and if it were completely up to me it would have never happened in the first place but, it did so in till further notice you’re off my service, I’m sorry Dr. Browne.” 

_Dr. Browne._

That stung. 

“Why did you agree with her?” she asked, for a split second it seemed like she was asking something else. 

Before he could say anything her pager echoed through the tense room. 

“I have to go,” she spoke softly. 

He stood to stop her but, she was already out the door by the time he could get her name out, besides she had a patient to care for. 

****

This was a bad idea, a really bad idea but, she had managed to avoid him for the last two days and at the very least he had to admit he didn’t like the thought of going three days without at least talking to her. Not to mention she deserved a better answer than the one he gave her in his office. Though this might be slightly extreme and exactly why Lim took her off his service but he pushed thoes thoughts from his head and knocked on the door in front of him wondering briefly if he had time to run to his car and drive away before she answered.

He didn't. 

She didn’t greet him when she opened the door just looked at him confused. 

“I wanted to apologize for the other day you deserve a better than what I gave you.” 

She opened the door a little wider and tilted her head, he stepped into the apartment with caution looking around the place was cute and bright even at nine o’clock at night. It was Claire. 

“This whole situation is not fair to you, I haven’t been fair to you.” 

“I don’t understand, wasn’t the whole complaint about you being more than fair to me?” 

He nodded his head trying to find his way to the words he wanted to say, he couldn’t help but notice how close they were. 

“Yes and originally it was just Lim who wanted to take you off my service but, she was right-,” 

“About?” 

“How I feel about you.” 

“I don’t get it?” 

It wasn’t often someone saw Neil Melendez nervous, but here he was standing in her entryway looking like he was about to pass out. 

“I agreed with Lim because I do favor you over the other residents- over most people if I’m being honest and I need to be honest with myself with you-.” 

If coming here had been a bad idea what he did next was even worse, but when he took a small step closer to her and his hand found its way to her cheek she didn’t back away. 

He leaned down slightly, his lips found hers, he kissed her softly. 

“I’m sorry,” he whispered as they parted she still looked shocked. “That was uncalled for and this whole situation is unfair to you. You shouldn’t be in the crosshairs just because I have feelings for you. I will do a better job of separating my feelings for you and my job as your teacher.” 

She nodded her head looking at the wall behind him. 

“Uhm okay thank you, Dr. Melendez,” she spoke, composing herself. 

“Yeah, have a good night Dr. Browne.” 

He extended his hand to hers as an awkward gesture of professionalism. She shook his hand lingering for a moment. 

After her hand left him he turned back to the door, she watched as his hand found the handle, turned it, and opened the door. 

“Wait.” 

He turned around as quickly as she said it. 

“I won’t be back on your services for at least another week, and that’s even if Lim decides to put me back on your service.” 

“Yeah that sounds about right,” he agreed. 

“Then that gives us some time.” 

Now it was him who was looking confused, in till she was walking towards him and he found himself shutting the door behind him. 

She kissed him, hard and hungry with both of her hands pulling his head down closer to her. 

His hands found her hips, as she pushed him up against the door. 

“You sure about this?” he asked in between kisses. 

She stopped to look him in the eyes, “Very,” she answered. 

That was all he needed, one word and the smile on her face. He picked her up carrying her in what he hoped was the direction of the bedroom. 

She laughed when he practically dropped her on her bed. God he loved her laugh, If he had to spend every day of the rest of his life listening to that laugh it still wouldn’t be enough, and that thought terrified him. 

Just as she was reaching up to him, her doorbell rang he had to keep himself from audibly groaning.

“Who’s that?”

“Probably, Park is coming to confess his feelings for me,” she teased. 

He rolled his eyes and took her hand to help her up. 

“That would be my dinner I had planned on stuffing my face and watching Outlander, Carly recommended it- kind of, ” she explained as they walked back to the front of her apartment. 

She answered the door thanking the delivery guy, and then shut the door.

“Well, I won’t interrupt your evening.” 

She rolled her eyes, and then looked at the bag she had just sat on the counter. 

“I can share,” she told him though it sounded more like a question. 

Neil thought about it for a moment, trying to stop the smile that was already forming so quickly on his face. 

“I would like that,” he answered. 

She smiled up at him, grabbing forks from the drawer beside her she told him where her cups were and he filled them both with water. 

They sat down on her couch talking sharing the Chinese food she had ordered. It hadn't occurred to either of them that she had never turned on the T.V. till she got a text from Reznick of all people asking if she’d made it episode seven yet. 

“It’s getting late,” Neil observed.

Claire looked at the clock it was past eleven and she couldn’t tell if there was a question in his tone or not, she didn’t want to jump to a conclusion but, she didn’t want him to leave either. 

“You got your bag in your car?” she asked, already knowing the answer what surgeon wouldn’t. 

He nodded, “You should go get it.” 

It wasn’t much later he found himself in Claire’s bed starting to fall asleep as whatever movie she had put on rolled through its credits. They hadn’t made even a third of the way through before they were back to making out like teenagers, for the remainder of the film. 

He heard her chuckle slightly. He hugged her close to him as a way of asking what it was she was laughing about. She sat up slightly so she could look him in the eye. 

“This was a bad idea,” she said, though the smile on her face said something completely different.

“Yeah, probably not our best,” he agreed. 

She kissed him before he could say anything else or ask if she regretted it, and then she rolled over on her side with a yawn. It didn’t take long for him to cave into his urge rolling over so his arm rested over her waist and her back was flush against his chest. They both slept better that night than they had in a long time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading guys!! once again let me know what you think about the shot, and don't forget to give me some suggestions!


	4. Valentine's

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I'm late on this one guys, Friday turned out to be a whole lot busier than expected and I've also recently developed allergies which suck and are currently kicking my butt... Anywho thanks so much for reading and I hope you guys like this V-day one shot. 
> 
> This is a future fic btw and just straight fluff! because I can't help myself. 
> 
> Also just as a warning!!!  
> there is mention of car accidents but, it's nothing graphic it's just the explanation of why the girl they're treating is in the hospital.

“We hate to ruin your Valentine’s day but, this surgery needs to be done,” Claire told the young women in front of her.

“That’s fine, I’m on a twenty-year no Valentine streak,” the girl joked.

Both the older women cocked their heads slightly, “It would be the full twenty-one but, I went soft in third grade let Jimmy from Ms. Halls’ class buy me a candy teddy bear.”

The doctors chuckled at her story, she seemed to be in good spirits, all things considered, she was practically comatose when she was brought in about a week ago, she had been t-boned by a drunk driver who was still currently in ICU.

They were able to stabilize her after emergency surgery, then her heart started to give they needed to put in a stent as soon as possible.

“Well then were going to let you rest for as long as possible before the surgery well prep you in a couple of hours,” Morgan explained the young girl nodded.

“You know you can go home if you want?” Morgan told Claire as they walked out of their patient’s room and over to the nurse’s desk. The shorter woman just shook her head.

“I don’t want to leave her,” Claire sighed Morgan nodded they turned back to look into the room they had just left.

“I don’t buy it?” Morgan said suddenly.

“Buy what?”

“That she’s okay be alone again, not to mention getting heart surgery on today of all days.”

“Not everyone needs another person to be happy and besides, she’s still young,” Claire countered.

“I know that I just I don’t I feel like she’s putting on a brave face, but, when I came went in there a couple of hours ago she looked sad-,”

“She’s getting a major heart surgery at twenty-one.”

“-It wasn’t just that.”

“Do you think we should get a psych consult,” Claire said thumbing through the young patient’s chart. 

“It probably couldn’t hurt.”

Claire agreed it was better to be safe than sorry, and she knew that not everyone needed someone to be happy but, most people would at least enjoy some company especially on today of all days and given what she was going through alone at twenty-one. 

“Where did she say she worked again?” Claire asked suddenly Morgan opened her own copy in of her file.    
“I don’t remember but, I’m sure we can ask.” 

“Okay, can you?-I have an idea,” the brunette asked quickly walking away.

Morgan chuckled “Hm I’m excited to see what Saint Claire comes up with next,” she teased, but Claire could tell she was wearing a proud smile. 

It was quite a few hours later that Morgan was at Cassie’s bedside, letting her know the surgery went well though they would have to monitor her for the next couple of days, it looked like she would be getting discharged soon.

“What about the man who hit me?” she asked suddenly.

Morgan was a little taken aback by the question, “I can’t give out that kind of-,” 

The younger girl held up her phone. 

“I overheard his name looked him up, he doesn’t seem like a bad guy.” 

Morgan was surprised by this, the man had come in a few seconds after her two times the legal limit and more than out of it. He hadn’t left the ICU since. 

“Casey-,” 

“I know, I know it’s weird and I’m pissed as hell but, I don’t want him to die or anything like I said he doesn’t seem like a bad guy. People make mistakes, I’m sure he’s realized that-,” 

“And if he hasn’t?” It was an inappropriate question a harsh one too but, Morgan couldn’t help herself. 

“Well I think it would be it would be a mistake to assume,” Casey answered, “And we’ve all seen what mistakes can do.” 

“I will see what I can do why don’t you rest for now I’ll be back in an hour or so.” 

With that, the doctor walked out. 

“That the DUI victim?” Park asked as they met in the hallway. 

“Yeah and she’s giving Claire a run for her money.” 

Park raised his eyebrow with question. 

“She’s twenty one alone in the hospital on Valentine’s day and she’s worried about the man who t-boned her at ninety miles an hour.” 

Park sighed, “well at least she’s in some kind of good spirits.”

“And she’s about to be in even better spirits,” Claire said coming up behind them with a wide smile. 

A smile formed on Reznicks face as the brunette approached them Park looked between them. 

“What exactly did you too do?” 

“We got her a Valentine,” Reznick stated as if he was dumb for not knowing. 

“Okay, sweet but I am a little confused,” Park stated. 

“Yeah, so was I,” a familiar and confident voice admitted from behind them. 

The three Doctors turned, Claire’s smile grew ten-fold as they saw Melendez walking towards them. He had the same smile on his face when he met Dr. Browne’s eyes and turned to the little boy he was carrying on his hip. 

He had bright green eyes, skin not much lighter than Claire’s, and an electric smile. He had been reaching out towards his mom since the moment he and his dad walked through the door and he saw her. 

“Momma,” the little boy cried excitedly, as Neil handed his little boy to Claire 

“I see you’re still coming in second place,” Park teased. 

Neil rolled his eyes, “Yeah,” he answered, with a grin he couldn’t hide looking at his wife holding their son. 

“Happy  _ Val-e-ties _ momma,” the little boy said, holding out one of the papers in his little hands. 

Claire looked at it and then to Neil who winked at her, she turned back to her baby. 

“Thank you, Nicky,” she said kissing him. 

She took the paper red heart from his hands and set it on the nurses’ desk. 

“Okay, are you ready to meet someone?” Claire asked. 

The little boy nodded. 

Claire and Morgan walked into Cassie’s room, she was facing the window when they entered Morgan knocked on the wall. 

She turned to look at her doctors with a bleak expression in till she saw the little boy on Claire’s hip. Her entire face lit up as the three walked further into her room. 

“Oh who is this?” she asked. 

The little boy looked at his mom who nodded, then he turned back to the girl. 

“My name is Nicholas Browne- Melendez,” he stated. 

All three women giggled, as the group reached her bedside.

“Well hello Nicholas, I’m Cassandra Jones.” 

“Nicky has something he wants to give you,” Claire said. 

Cassie shifted in her bed, making room for the little boy to sit next to her. Claire sat him down and let her son hand the girl the other card in his hand. Cassie accepted it and opened the white piece of paper that had been cut in the shape of a heart, there were big letters written in various Crayola markers that spelled out “Will you be my Valentine?” 

Cassie looked up her doctors with tears in her eyes. 

“We know this breaks your streak but, we didn’t think you’d mind,” Morgan said. 

“Thank you,” Cassie said whipping her tears. 

“Are you okay?” the little boy beside her asked. 

She chuckled which made her cry more, “I’m better than okay,” she told him with a smile. 

“But, I can’t be your Valentine if you aren’t mine,” she spoke Nicky’s head turned with question. 

Cassie looked up at his mother “If you don’t mind?” 

“Of course not.” 

She turned back to the little boy “I gotta make a card for you, do you want to help me?” she asked. 

She hadn’t noticed that Dr. Reznick had left the room only to return a few moments later with red, pink, and purple paper, a box of markers and some leftover stickers she found in pediatrics. She sat them on the table and pushed it so Nicky and Cassie could reach the supplies. 

Cassie started asking what color he wanted for his paper and what stickers he wanted to use. Her doctors exchanged a proud glance, Claire kissed her son on his head and told Cassie they’d be back in a little bit to come and get him and to call the nurse if he started bothering her before that, which she deemed impossible. 

As they walked back out to the Nurses’ desk Claire couldn’t help but, smile at her husband who was leaning against it talking to Park about something, probably the surgery they had coming up in a couple of weeks. 

“Saint Claire strikes again,” Morgan announced drawing the men’s attention, they looked at the two women first and then to the window that framed Cassie’s room like a painting that came to life, they could hear both her’s and Nicky’s laughter thorough the hall. 

Claire walked straight to her husband wrapping her arms around his waist practically falling into his chest. He put his arms around her waist as well. 

“I love you, you know that?” She asked.

“Yeah, I think its come up a few times.” 

He wore his own dopey grin as he bent his down to kiss her. 

“Four years,” Park sighed. 

The couple looked towards him and Reznick. 

“And you two are still gross,” Morgan finished for him, though they were both smirking at the couple, who rolled their eyes in complete sync with the other. 

The four of them turned back to look through the window of Cassie’s room. 

“How’d you think of this?” Park asked. 

“Well she’s mentioned kids a couple of times and that she really misses her old job-,” 

“And the last employer on record was daycare so we made an educated guess,” Morgan finished. 

The two men looked impressed. Neil couldn’t help but, focus on the little boy  _ his little boy _ as he watched the scene in front of him. His curly black hair bounced slightly as he laughed Claire had mentioned that she needed to take him to get it cut soon but, he liked seeing her curls on their son’s head. 

“Okay, you two can get out of here,” Morgan stated pulling the parents’ gaze from the window. 

“I already have his stuff, I know all the numbers now go have a nice Valentines and I will return your annoyingly perfect child in the morning.” 

“I believe that is Reznick for please go have a great evening, while your child is in very capable and caring hands,” Park translated, the others seemed to agree with his interpretation. 

Neil looked down at his wife with a smirk, and she let go of his waist stepping away from him, though she made sure to grab his hand. 

“Okay, okay we are going but, call us if anything happens.”

“I know the drill,” Morgan reminded with a fond smile, she might never admit it but, she loved being Auntie Mo-gan or Moe-moe as Nicky preferred. 

She and Park watched the couple tell Nicky good night, and they chuckled when they heard him ask if he could stay a little bit longer, he was happy to find that they were leaving and not him. 

Cassie thanked Claire again and Neil who hadn’t been one of her doctors but, she had recognized him from seeing him around the hospital and from the picture she begged Claire to show her when she first found out her doctor was a wife and mother. 

They left hand and hand laughing talking about who knows what, they had a nice dinner at a fancy restaurant but, they didn’t stay very long. It had been months since they had a night to themselves and off work. He couldn’t wait to get her home and by the looks, she was giving him from across the small booth they were in neither could she. 

She laughed as he kicked the door shut behind him, he practically threw her over his shoulder and took her straight to their bedroom, tossing her on the bed with a cocky grin. He started working on his buttons while she pulled her shirt over her head, he did the same when his was lose enough. He toed off his shoes and crawled on top of her, kissing up her stomach when he reached it between her breast, making sure to give extra attention to that one spot on her neck that always made her hum with pleasure. 

When he made it to her mouth, she flipped them over so she was straddling him, he sat with his back against the headboard. Their kisses were lazy and tired yet they still made him see stars. He laughed when she yawned breaking up their lips. He pushed one of her curls behind her ears, taking a moment to look in her eyes and appreciate the fact that he had  _ this _ , had  _ her. _

“You tired?” he asked. 

She shook her head, “No, I’m go-,” her denial was interrupted by another yawn, she slumped against his chest. 

“I think its time for bed we have all had a long day,” he decided, she pouted the exact same expression Nicky wore half the time when mommy wasn’t around. 

“I’m sorry,” she said. 

He shook his head, “There’s nothing to be sorry for.” 

He kissed her head, pushed her off of him softly, only to get up from the bed and hold his hand out for her to take. Which she did a few moments later. 

“We can still save some water,” he told her with a wink, pulling her into their bathroom. 

Their shower wasn’t long, but, she took in every second of it. The way his hands moved over her body and the way his face changed when hers moved over his, they climbed into bed about an hour later. As much as she loved their little one she had to admit it was somewhat nice not having to worry about him coming into sleep in their bed after a bad dream in the middle of the night. 

“Happy Valentine’s day Claire, I love you,” Neil whispered kissing her.

She smiled against his lips, “I love you too.”

It didn’t take them long to fall asleep they really were tired he let his arm, rest over her waist keeping her against his chest, his hand stretched out over her stomach. It was something he had starting doing the night she told him she was pregnant with Nicky and he had done it ever since, not that she minded. She fell asleep to the rhythm of his breathing thinking about how weird it was to consider this Valentine’s day, a day where they’d barely seen each other then came home only to make out like a couple of teenagers, take a shower and go to bed, the best one yet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading guys!!!!  
> as always let me know what you thought of the story and what you might want to read in the future!


	5. Did You Know?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As a warning, this chapter does have a car wreck scene/ its mentioned a few times but, I don't go into much detail about it if any.

“I’m still a better shot,” Morgan snapped back at Park, who just shook his head in amusement he had honestly forgotten what they had been arguing about. 

It was a slow day in the ER, though it was never dull, they had just finished pulling a pretty impressive engagement ring out of a guy's cheek. HIs ex future finance dropped him off and left as soon as she could. 

“We got incoming,” Lim informed the residents, they followed her quickly to the door grabbing their gowns and gloves. 

“Car got a T-boned, passengers stable, driver, not so much, she informed.”

“And the person who hit them?” 

Lim just shook her head.

“Where’s Browne?” she asked the others just as the ambulance pulled up.

“We do not know, she is late,” Shaun answered just as the paramedics jumped out of the ambulance quickly, yelling stats. 

Though their voices turned distant and muffled when they opened the back doors and the four doctors saw Claire, sitting on the bench of the truck staring at the person- the man on the stretcher. 

No one said anything as the paramedics took out the stretcher holding a lifeless Neil Melendez. They pushed him right past the doctors still relying on the situations to the stone-faced doctors. Shaun was able to compose himself first, then Lim who whispered an order to page Andrews. 

“Reznick, get Claire, please,” she spoke softly, which somehow worse than when she was yelling. 

Morgan approached the vehicle reluctantly. 

“Claire,” she spoke. 

The stunned doctor was still staring at the place the gurney had been sitting. 

“You need to come with me.” 

Her head started shaking. 

“Claire you know the drill, I need to check you over,” she tried to appeal to her logical side, “The paramedics can’t stay here forever.” 

She reached her hand out to Browne, her head snapped towards the blonde’s who almost jumped back. 

The left side of her face was practically covered in blood, other than the gash on her forehead, Reznick couldn’t tell if it was her’s or Melendez’s that thought made her stomach churn. 

“He- was fi- we were- he was fine-,” Claire stuttered though her tone was even. 

“You can tell me all about it inside.” 

It took a few minutes later for her to come around she stepped out of the ambulance and into the E.R.

Neil was gone when she got there, rushed off to surgery, she heard Morgan talking behind her but, couldn’t make out what it was she was saying. She just kept walking, out of the E.R.

“Claire,” Morgan called after her. 

She didn’t stop, eventually, the blonde caught up with her realizing it was just easier to follow her instead of fighting her. 

****

“You know this accomplishes nothing,” Neil stated keeping his voice as even as possible. 

Claire was sitting in his lap, kissing down his neck slowly unbuttoning his shirt. 

“Oh really?” she asked in a soft low voice, her lips practically on his ear. 

“Yes really-,” he responded, now it was his voice that was soft and low, “-Because all it does is make me hungry for you.”

With that he pinned her against the couch, she laughed as he kissed her checks but, when he went to kiss her lips she tucked them into her mouth dodging his advances. 

“I only kiss men who get me Chinese food,” she told him with a cocky grin. 

“So you’re gonna play it that way?” 

She nodded holding her ground, he rolled his eyes but, the smile on his face was wide. 

He propped himself up on his arm running his hand through his hair. “Fine,” he surrendered. 

Claire smiled brightly, and gave him an over-exaggerated kiss on the lips climbing out from under him she stood from the couch and extended her hand for his, which he took almost immediately. 

****

It didn’t take Morgan long to realize where they were going, she swiped some supplies as they were walking. 

A few moments later they were standing in the Gallery of O.R. 2. Claire could barely make out what was going on, other than the fact that Lim, Andrews, Park, and Murphy were all there standing over Neil with a hole in his chest. 

“Why don’t you sit down Dr. Browne,” a familiar voice suggested. 

She didn’t have to turn around to know it was Glassman, she just shook her head. 

Glassman to the intercom in his head, “Dr. Andrews, can you give us an update?” 

As soon as the question left his mouth, the entire surgical team took a lookup to the gallery they had been dreading. 

Andrews locked eyes with Dr.Browne, they were redder than anything else though she wasn’t crying. The gash above her right eyebrow looked like it needed stitches, and her legs and arms were covered with scrapes. 

He knew everyone else was doing the same thing he was when he cleared his throat the attention was called back to the more pressing matter. 

****

“I swear it’s over here somewhere,” Claire stated looking out her window. 

Neil laughed at her from the driver’s seat, “Can you just type it into your phone?” 

“I know its here-,” 

“You forgot the name didn’t you?” 

“No-,” 

He gave her that look and she batted her eyelashes “Okay maybe I forgot the name.” 

“Were getting Italian,” he decided firmly. 

“Fine but, I will find it, we will go and you will finally have to agree that they have the best dumplings in San Joses.” 

“I will take that bet.” 

She turned her head back to the road in front of them though her attention was, on his hand that had been resting on her leg, rubbing soft circles with his thumb. She’d noticed he did that often not that she was complaining, it just hadn’t exactly been what she was expecting when the first go together. She knew deep down behind that cocky stone exterior he was kind and sweet but, she’d also come to discover he was clingy and was just about the biggest sap she’d ever met. 

“Hey,’ he called her softly, she looked over at her with a smirk. “I love you,” he finished. 

It was not a big declaration, no rainstorm to argue in, in the middle of the night it was just the two of them, passing through a green-lit intersection. He looked over at her with an electric smile, as her mouth parted to say something but her eyes went wide and panicked instead.-

_ “Neil!”  _ Claire yelled as blue headlights grew closer. 

*****

“He lost a lot of blood, there was ruptured artery in his chest we’ve repaired it, we’ve got most of the shrapnel and glass out of him, CT scans came back negative no brain bleeds-,”

“Why don’t you get some scans done yourself, Dr. Browne,” Lim finished for Andrews though both senior doctors agreed. 

“What- his-,” she took a deep breath trying to get her words out without breaking down “Hands, what about his hands?”

“They seem to be just fine, no visible damage, but we’ll know more in post-op,” Andrews answered.

Claire nodded her hand still on the glass looking down at the O.R. she looked straight and passed the doctors to Neil still lying open on the table. 

“Come on let’s go get you checked out,” Morgan stated in the kindest voice Claire had ever come from her mouth. 

She took one last look at the room below them and walked off with the other doctors.

They took her to Glassman’s clinic where there was more privacy. Leia came in with some food she ate a couple of bites of it then, couldn't stomach anymore she was at least able to finish off the water. They drew some blood stitched the gash above her head, and took her for a CT and MRI. To Reznicks’ and Glassman’s surprise her left ankle was fractured they knew she was only able to stand and walk on it due to the adrenaline but, eventually, that was going to wear off. 

She was not happy when they admitted her, it meant she had her own room and bed separate from Neil’s. 

“Please?”

“No.”

“Morgan,” Claire pleaded. 

“Claire,’ she retorted back without any thought. 

“I just need to see him.”

“And you will but, you were just in a major accident he’s still in surgery and we need to keep you overnight.”

Claire huffed more aggravated with the fact Morgan was right rather than everything else. 

****

“How did it go?” Morgan asked Park and Shaun coming into the board room.

“He’s in ICU vitals are good,” Park answered. 

“They were lucky,” Shaun stated matter-of-factly. 

The other two residents agreed with nods and sighs mostly of relief.

“Did you know?” Park asked Morgan softly knowing it really wasn’t the time or place but, it would have been asked sooner or later.

The blonde just shook her head. 

Before anything else could be said the urgent sound of Park and Murphy’s pager filled the room, both men jumped and left the room, Reznick, not far behind. 

When they got to the ICU they could hear the loud buzzing and alarms coming from their instructors' room Morgan hung back planting herself at the nurses' desk while Murphy and Shaun entered the room. 

He was frantic, panicked and pulling on the IVs in his arms and the wires on his chest Park passed by the nurses trying to calm him. The older man put a hand on Melendez's shoulder. 

“Dr. Melendez- Neil, it’s Park, I’m here with Shaun you were in an accident. You’re at saint B’s in the IUC-,” 

“Cla- Claire was in the car with me,” the frantic doctor explained still pulling at his tubes and wires. 

“She’s fine she has a fractured ankle and she needed some stitches but, she’s fine.” Park could see Melendez physically relax but, he was still spiraling

“Where- I need to-,” 

“You need to rest, we will bring her to you when you are rested,” a different voice explained from the door. 

Andrews walked in Lim behind him, looking at the chart in her hand. Most of the nurses had left leaving him and the four doctors who were circling his bedside. 

“Marcus please.” 

In all his years of knowing the doctor, Andrews had never heard Neil beg with four people around him let alone beg at all. 

“Dr. Park can you go with Reznick and bring Dr. Browne here if she is feeling up to it.” Andrews decided. 

Melendez’s entire body seemed to be washed over with relief. Andrews finished explaining the surgery he had just performed and the four doctors left the room. 

“You think Browne’s up to it?” Andrews asked Reznick as they met her at the nurses' station. 

“I think she’ll come up here herself if I don’t go get her.” 

The two senior doctors nodded, Andrews waited for the residents to leave before turning to his chief of surgery. 

“Did you know?” he asked softly. 

Lim shook her head, “Not that they were together but, I knew how he felt about her.” 

“How long?”

She thought about it for a moment, sighing before she opened her mouth to speak. 

“I don’t know, since before we were together, I kind of just pushed the thought away, I don’t think he realized it,” she answered honestly. 

“So what are you going to do about it?” 

Lim cocked her head, “I don’t think now is the time-,” 

“It’s not, and I’m not saying you have to do anything about it now but, you will eventually.” 

“What would you do?” She asked him sincerely, he had been the one to deal with her and Neil were together but, that had been a very different situation. 

“I don’t know,” he answered honestly. 

He gave her a sympathetic smile, before turning to see Reznick pushing Claire in a wheelchair, into Melendez’s room. 

She couldn’t help but stand and watch luckily she wasn’t the only one as the residents left the room coming to stand right next to her, even Shaun seemed intrigued with the scene playing out before them. 

“Hey,” Claire spoke quietly, her voice already shaking. 

“Are you okay?” 

His voice was strained, his eyes already full of tears. She got out of the wheelchair, and sat on his bed, so she could reach him. 

“I’m okay, I’m not the one who just had a four-hour operation,” she started crying. 

He had sat up as best he could, he reached for her cheek.

“Hey, I’m okay too,” he told her, whipping her tears. 

“I thought- I didn’t-,” 

“I know I thought the same thing,” he told her. 

She leaned into him kissing his lips for the first time in six hours though it had felt like days. She moved closer to him her hands running through his hair. 

“I love you too,” she whispered after their lips parted and they sat with their heads leaning on the others. 

He let out a soft laugh, it was probably the best sound she’d heard all day. He moved his forehead off her so his lips could place a soft kiss on the bandage over her eye, and then he shifted in the bed slightly, he guided her shoulders to the bed, both making sure she avoided the few wires that were on that side of his body. 

She laid there with her head on his chest and his arms wrapped tightly around her until she eventually found that rest Reznick kept telling her she needed. 

Neil let his chin rest on her head, both his arms were holding her so firmly against him he had to remind himself to loosen his grip relax a little bit, she was fine safe, probably in better condition than he was, but he couldn’t help feeling as relieved as he did that she was here with him, he turned his head slightly to look out the window.

****

“You know this is the fourth time this week you’ve avoided me,” a voice called from behind him, he recognized it immediately and nearly jumped when he heard it. 

He took a deep breath and turned around to see Claire standing behind him, her coat tied around her waist bag in her hand. 

“I don’t know-,” 

“Come on, I’m not mad I’m just asking, I thought we were past all of this,” she stated stepping a bit closer to him. 

He sighed not really knowing what to do, so he just tilted his head in the direction of the parking lot. 

“Let me take you home,” he said. 

She raised her eyebrow, “I overheard you tell Reznick your car was in the shop.” 

She decided not to argue her car was in the shop and his car was better than most cars, to begin with not to mention the city bus. 

If he was being honest he hadn’t really expected her to say yes she had every right to be upset with him because he had in fact been avoiding her but, she wasn’t she seemed more disappointed than anything else. 

“When did you decide you couldn’t talk to me anymore?” she asked when they arrived at her place after the entire trip was spent in silence. 

He turned to her “It wasn’t you,” he stated, “None of this was your fault and I continue to put your career on the line, I don’t want to be the reason-,” 

“That complaint was filed months ago and we’ve dealt with it.” 

“It's not the complaint that's the issue,” he stated. 

“Then what is?”

“Me.” 

She didn’t understand. 

“You don’t need this right now,” he added. 

She turned her head for a second to collect her thoughts “Why don’t you tell me what this is and I can decide that for myself.” 

Now it was him who turned away from her only to turn back a few seconds later. 

“I have feelings for you,” he admitted, he saw her expression change his head started shaking, “Actual feelings that I shouldn’t have for a colleague especially a resident, and whether you feel the same way or not it's my fault for letting it get this far in the first place.” 

*****

She'd kissed him that night than avoided him for two weeks but, they eventually worked it out he remembered with a fond smile.

It wasn’t much later that Lim walked into his room, quietly he turned his head to face her but, didn’t move Claire was still sound asleep and he didn’t want to wake her. 

“If it’s any consolation we were planning on telling you,” he joked as she sat down in the chair beside his bed. 

“I wouldn’t worry about that now,” she started “but, off the record how long?” 

“About three months.” 

“I can’t say I’m surprised.” 

“Really?” 

“I told you had an issue, this wasn’t exactly what I meant when I said fix it.” 

He was glad to hear that teasing tone return to her voice, he hadn’t heard since they’d broken up he missed it, missed his friend. 

“You know I saw this coming,” she started, Neil rose an eyebrow, “I ignored it for a while but, you look at her differently, differently than you looked at me or Jessica.” 

That comment surprised him. 

“Well I have found rather difficult not to,” he stated looking down at Claire, with the exact look Lim had been referring to.

“This real?”

He didn’t have to ask to know what she was talking about. 

“It's it- she’s it,” he answered. 

Other than the monitors and distant commotion coming from the hallway the room went silent for a long moment. 

Lim stood “We will be discussing this as soon as possible,” she started Neil nodded, he watched her face soften as her eyes landed on Claire. “I’m glad you’re happy Neil, both of you.” 

With that, she left relieved he was okay that they were both okay but, other than that she had no clue what she was feeling all she knew was that she was lacking in shock. After she left his room she headed straight to Glassman's office seeking advice or maybe just a shoulder she’d decided once she got there. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks, guys for reading!!  
> hoped you liked this one-shot let me know what you think and don't forget I am taking prompt suggestions so leave me some and I'll see what I can do!!


	6. The Dance

Claire sat in Neil’s office, using his desk to get some space from the other residents while she prepped for her fourth led surgery, it wasn’t technically difficult but the patient himself was a different story. He was seventeen in out of hospitals for the last year due to an inoperable brain tumor they found last time he got an MRI for a concussion after getting sacked at his state championship football game. They didn’t want to put too much stress on his head and risk giving him a stroke or aneurysm. She hadn’t meant to get so close to him or his parents but, she did like she always did, and now she was going over and over the surgery to make sure they'd had him open and closed within an hour. 

“Hey,” a soft voice greeted from the doorway. 

She looked up with a tired smile Melendez was standing in the doorway taking off his suit jacket, she leaned back in his chair as he walked towards her she didn’t even notice the bag that was in his hand. 

“I went out on a limb and assumed you haven’t eaten.” 

She started to protest, and tell him she was just about to go grab something before she noticed the clock was fifteen past nine. 

“I have not,” she sighed, gathering her papers to put them in a neat pile, she stood to get out of his chair but, he just shook his head, and pulled up one of the other chairs on the side of the desk reaching into the bag and pulling out their food. 

The sat and ate their food in mostly silence talking only about their respective days and what they wanted to do on their day off. He purposely avoided the subject of her upcoming surgery knowing she was already more than stressed about it but when they finished their dinner he helped her review the charts, studies, and techniques that went with the surgery. 

“Why don’t we go for a run?” he asked about an hour or so later after she slumped her head against the back of the chair. 

She hummed in response, she knew she had hit a wall even worse she knew he knew she had hit a wall but, she was hoping that the longer she stared at the papers in front of her a door would appear or even a small window. 

After a long stretch of silence, she agreed he helped her gather the papers the ones she needed she put into her bag and the others he put in an organized pile next to his own pile of paperwork. 

“You're usually kicking my ass at this point,” Neil teased, Claire lagging behind him. 

He stopped so she could catch up to him, she looked like she was done for the night so, he took her home, and pushed the thoughts of concern from his mind. 

  
  


He found her the next day, in the same spot he’d found her the night before but, this time she had the chair facing away from the door, he could her soft sniffles as he walked towards her.

“There wasn’t anything you could have done differently.”

He wasn’t surprised when she didn’t say anything. He thought he was going to leave, that's what he should do but, he didn't, instead, he walked over to the windows in his office and closed the blinds slightly. Knowing this was probably a bad idea, that she was his colleague his resident.

But walked back towards her taking his phone from his pocket he was typing something, or scrolling she hadn’t paid much attention until a soft melody started playing from its small speaker and he set it on the edge of the desk. He came back around to the side she was sitting at extending his hand to her with that smirk of his. 

She started to protest but, she didn’t really want to, she took his hand letting him pull her up and lead her to the center of the room while the song picked up. He let her come to him. She did when his right arm found its way to his shoulder he put his hand on her back. Making sure it stayed just below her shoulders. Their other hands held onto each other tight they swayed to the music in till she started to back away and they went their separate ways.

****

“Do you want anything to eat?” Claire asked as the game Neil was watching came to a close. 

He shook his head “I’m good,” he answered. 

She pulled herself up from his shoulder, so she could look at him. 

He looked tired and aged the soft expression he usually wore on his face hadn’t been there in a few days, replaced by a hardened stare that made him seem a few miles away. She had come prepared the other day when Lim told her he had lost Mr. Jacobs, a patient of his since he was in his residency. He had health problems half his life in and out of hospitals but, he had always been discharged. 

“You save someone so many times you start to think its the only possible outcome, in some ways it's just as unexpected as a heart attack or stroke,” Glassman had told her when he caught her coming out of Neil’s office, with an expression he knew well.

“Okay then,” she didn’t push, instead she just got up from the couch and grabbed her phone from the end table scrolling through it to find a song with a soft melody. She chose The Wealthy West’s: Highest Tide. She made sure her volume was up before she pressed play, setting her phone back on the table.

He gave her a look when she extended her hand to his but, it was a useless protest when she flashed him that bright soft smile. 

He took her hand letting her pull him up from the couch, though he was the one to pull her close against his chest as soon as he was standing, both his arms wrapped around her waist in an effort to pull her as close to him as he possibly could. She let her arms hang around his neck her thumb rubbed absent circles on the nape of his neck, as the swayed to the music.

As they swayed she thought about how this all started when it became a thing- their thing, it was different than when they ran together. For one they were much closer together which for a while made it a rare occasion but, it had become more frequent after they got together, they didn’t have to talk and there was nothing to pander to their competitive spirts like many of their runs that had turned to races. 

This- dancing- had somehow turned into their way of talking without actually talking, mourning without mourning, crying without crying, and even celebrating. They had an unspoken rule: they never turned down a dance no matter which one of them decided they needed one or that the other did. One of them simply put on a song and waited for the other to join them. 

“You know I love you,” he whispered a while later moving his chin from her head. 

She looked up at him with that smile, the one that automatically made his own wider. 

“Yeah, you’ve mentioned it,” she teased. 

He rolled his eyes and bent down to kiss her. After a while he’d share a few of his memories of Mr. Jacobs’, she watched him as he spoke with a soft encouraging smile. 

They spent the rest of the night dancing. She found herself perfectly content to spend the rest of her life with his arms around her, hers around him swaying to whatever song filled the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all like this fluff piece hopefully we'll be able to see something like this be canon if not in season three then in season four for sure because I'm gonna be real mad if they build them up like this just to be like SIKE like they did last time. Anywho... not still mad or anything, thanks again for reading and let me know what you think!!!


	7. The Parks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, guys, this is a future fic that I thought might be cute featuring Claire, Neil, Park, Kellan (Park's son), and two seconds of Andrews. Hope you like it!!

“You paged me?” Park asked walking into Melendez’s office a little bit confused as to why he was there. 

The senior doctor nodded and motioned to one of the chairs in front of his desk, Park sat down as silence filled the room. 

Melendez was staring at his desk avoiding Park’s eye line.

“Is this about the Johnson surgery?” he asked reluctantly.

Melendez shook his head quickly, “No, there was nothing more you could have done, it was a good surgery- with an outcome we couldn’t control.” 

“Okay,” Park said awkwardly “So why am I here?” 

“I just wanted to chat,” c _ hat _ wasn’t usually a word Melendez used. “ How are you doing?” 

“I’m doing fine-,” 

“How's your son?” 

Park tried not to look suspicious, as he answered the doctor while also mulling over the possibilities of why he was even being asked this in his head. 

“Kellan’s good, trying to make a decision on what college he wants to go to.” 

“That's good, and you two are closer now?” 

“Yeah, I think so, better than we’ve been in a while. It's not easy but we are working on it. ” 

“That’s good I’m glad to hear it, you were already a cop when he was born right?” 

“Yeah, for a few years actually, never really done the nine to five.” 

His answer didn’t seem to be helping the senior doctor who was staring right passed him leaning back in his chair. 

“It put a lot of stress on Mia and him as he got older but we both made mistakes at his expense and we’re trying to make up for those but, he knows we love him more than he used to, he’s our priority and we didn’t make that clear for a long time. What about you everything okay?” he asked cautiously “You and Clair-,” 

“Were good yeah, I was just- uh your residency is almost over so I was just checking in making sure your heads in the game,” Melendez explained quickly. 

*****

The hospital was louder than usual or maybe her mind was louder than usual whichever one it was annoying she needed quite. For a brief moment, she considered going to Neil’s office but, decided against it. 

“Kellan,” she called loudly not even registering she had done it until the teenager was looking at her from across the cafeteria confused. 

Kellan watched the doctor walk towards him with a slightly creepy smile on her face, she sat down in the seat across from him.

“Where’s your dad?” she asked. 

He gave her shrug, “He got paged and said he should be back soon though, it didn't seem urgent.” 

“Well, I heard you got into Stanford and UCLA, that's amazing,” She complimented. 

He rolled his eyes “Is he telling everyone?” 

The brunette laughed “He’s just proud and you should be too.” 

A smug smirk crawled his way onto his face, “I guess,” he stated trying to play it off. 

“So, how long are you here for?” 

“A couple of weeks actually.” 

“That’s good right?” 

The boy nodded trying to figure out why she was talking to him, not that he minded and she and Reznick usually talked to him fairly frequently whenever he was here so it wasn’t particularly odd, however, Dr. Browne’s demeanor was. 

“Did you like it better when your dad was a cop?” she asked suddenly. 

He was a bit taken aback by the question. 

“Uh yes and no I guess,” 

He watched her take a long sip of the juice in her hand, eyebrows raised obviously hoping for a more detailed answer. 

“I mean he was home when he was a cop and we were all together, but the hours aren’t that much different and though he’s farther away he’s safer here, fewer people shooting at him,” 

“So it was never the hours that bothered you?” 

“I mean they did I didn’t seem him that much as a kid you know and it was weird plus you add in the fact we never knew for sure if he’d come home or if we’d get his partner knocking on the door instead.” 

“That must have been hard,” Claire stated. 

He nodded looking up to her, she wasn’t looking at him instead, staring at the cup in her hand. 

“Are you okay Dr. Browne?” 

She shook her head quickly, “Yeah, I’m good-,” she started to stand “-its to see you and congrats again, also your dad has told everyone so watch out for Melendez he might corner you about Standford.” 

With her warning and another, what seemed like, a forced smile she left him to finish his lunch, just as his dad was walking back to the table. 

He pointed in her direction. 

“You talking to Dr. Browne?” 

“More like she was talking to me it was weird,” his eyes narrowed at his father “You didn’t put her up to that did you?” 

“Why would you think that?” 

“She kept asking me questions about you,” he explained. 

Now it was his dad’s eyes that narrowed on the doctor standing at the counter across the cafeteria. 

He sat down “What exactly did she ask?”

***

Her shift felt longer than usual as she changed into a pair of leggings and Neil’s Stanford sweatshirt, they were supposed to go running, but, she really just wanted to go home, when she got to his office she saw him through the window with his head in his hands. She went in, cautiously. 

“You ready?” she asked softly pulling him from whatever was gripping his mind. 

He looked up at her with a smile and a sigh as she approached him, it was late the hospital was basically empty and they’d been together for a year now. She made her way around his desk. He turned her chair towards her, she sat down in his lap. 

“Subtle,” she commented looking at the browser on his laptop, he was looking at houses of all things. 

He sighed and reached over to close it, giving her a tired look. One of his hands was rubbing circles on her back while the other rested on the armrest of his chair. 

“You weren’t supposed to see that,” he sighed. 

She could tell he still wasn’t to keen on talking about and honestly, neither was she so, she just wrapped her arms around his necked and asked how his day had been.

He chuckled a little bit, “Long.” 

She sighed. “Yours too?” 

There was a heavy silence that filled the room, she closed her eyes for a moment taking what felt like her first breath all day. 

“I’m sorry,” he said suddenly. 

She adjusted so she was looking at him in the eyes. 

“What exactly are you sorry about?” 

“I- I feel like I rushed us rushed you and now we’re here and this wasn’t the timeline you had in your head or the one we agreed on-,” 

“Hey, hey-,” her hands came to rest on both sides of his face holding him to make sure he was looking in her eyes, “you have nothing to be sorry for,” she assured him though it didn’t seem like it was working. 

There was a knock on the door, the couple turned to see Park, Melendez motioned for him to come in, Claire started to stand up.

“You don’t have to get up, I’m not here about any work matter,” he stated, normally she would have gotten up anyways or rather wouldn’t have been sitting on his lap in the first place but, as they had both agreed the day had been long.

“I just wanted to say that first I’m not going to say anything but, I am here if either of you wants to talk more, Kellan wasn’t exactly planned either, and Claire I know it might be weird but, Mia would also be happy to talk to you if you ever need it.” 

With that, he gave Claire a proud smile and left before either of them got the chance to say anything. They needed their time but, he wanted to make sure they knew he was in their corner before he left for the night. 

“In retrospect talking to the only resident in this hospital who used to be a detective probably wasn’t my most brilliant idea,” Neil sighed his eyes still glued to the door as they watched Park walk away obviously teasing his son as they walked out. 

Claire let out a dry, borderline concerning laugh, “And of all the people I talked to his only son.” 

Neil looked at her with a raised eyebrow they couldn’t help but, laugh. 

“You’d think we’d be smarter than this.” she sighed. 

“We tend to defy the odds,” he responded sarcastically she laughed again, god he loved that laugh. 

She stood from his lap holding out her hands. “How about instead of a run we go get some ice cream, go home climb in bed, and watch the dumbest movie we can find?” 

He thought about it for a moment, before standing up “Another brilliant idea,” he answered kissing her head. 

They worked in unison packing up the files he needed to take home and were out of his office in minutes. They got in the elevator just as Andrews was. 

“You did a great job today Dr. Browne,” he complimented as they stepped as the three of them filed into the elevator. 

“Thank you, I’m glad we were able to figure out a solution.” 

He looked back at her with a smile, noticing Melendez’s expression. 

“You okay?” he asked. 

The younger doctor nodded quickly, “Yeah I’m fine ready to get home,” he answered, squeezing Claire’s hand. 

“Aren’t we all,” the elevator doors opened and the three stepped out walking out to the parking garage together. “Have a good night,” he told them as the couple headed to Melendez’s car. 

“You too,” Neil called back. 

They did exactly what Claire had suggested though she ended up eating most of the ice cream on their way home, and by the time they got there she was exhausted, so instead of the movie she sat with her head in his lap as he reviewed scans and charts for a surgery he had coming up. He did so one-handed as his other hand was dedicated to combing through her hair. 

“I’m not upset,” she spoke up as he started to put away all of his papers, she sat up and let him finish before continuing. 

“I think I’m just scared and it’s going to take me a while to get used to that- this. But, everything else the timeline you rushing something even the great Neil Melendez can’t rush, doesn’t matter okay I want this, I want you,” she announced looking into a mostly blank face.

Her back fell gently against the mattress, he was kissing her before she could even register the smile that she was feeling against her lips instead of seeing on his face. 

“Are you sure?” he asked breaking the kiss and slightly out of breath. 

“I’m positive,” she assured, she took in his slightly surprised gaze and raised her eyebrow suggestively. “Besides it gives us time to go for two,” she added. 

Now she was looking at his smile, which somehow always made her lips curl into one of her own. 

“I love you, and if it makes you feel any better I am terrified too,” he whispered. 

“I love you too,” she spoke through a laugh, her thumb ran across his cheek wiping a stray tear. “You’re going to be a great dad,” she told him her face practically swelling with pride.

He kissed her again, before getting up to finish getting ready for bed. When he returned she was already half asleep he climbed in next to her until her back rested against his chest and his arm could reach over her side. He slid his hand over her torso a couple of times, where he swore he could feel the slightest curve, eventually, it came to rest in the center just above her hips where it stayed for the rest of the night. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks guys so much for reading I really hope you all liked it!! let me know what you think and again I am taking prompt suggestions so let me know what you want to read!!


	8. The Earthquake

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey Warning!! - Don't read if you haven't seen the new episode 3x18 "Heartbreak"   
> This one-shot picks up while Claire's still with her therapist, it's basically just how I would like to see the season finale to go and since we have to wait an extra week I figured I'd put my ideas out there.   
> Hope you all like it!!

“Okay, do you want to explain to me how you came to this conclusion?” Claire’s therapist asked she gave the older doctor a strange look.

“I’m not trying to talk you in or out of anything I’m simply asking I just want to see your train of thought if that makes sense,” she clarified hoping the explanation helped soothe the younger girl in front of her.

Claire nodded, “I don’t know honestly I’ve always liked him, it just changed, I guess. I just feel better when I’m around him-,”

“I know he’s helped you with a lot over the course of your career after your mom passed I just want to make sure you aren’t confusing your feelings of gratitude with love because trust me it's more common than you think.”

Claire opened her mouth to speak but, she took a moment to really think about it. After all, this is why she had come here when she could of just as easily of gone straight to Neil’s.

“I’m not I know I’m not cause, after everything I still know what love feels like and this isn’t gratitude confused for love its love for someone who I have gratitude towards,” she looked down at her hands, “but, I did tell him a while back that I don’t trust myself not being able to hurt someone I care about, and I don’t know if somewhere deep inside me I only said that because, hurting Dash was- is the last thing I want to do but, some part of me knew already. And I know it's late but, if you don’t mind, I would like to talk more about it,” she stated looking back up to the woman sitting in front of her. Whose face shifted slightly.

“Of course, as long as you need, I’m a night owl anyway,” she smiled.

She was there for almost another two hours and grateful she hadn’t gone to Neil’s that would have been reckless and she had needed to talk through all she was feeling and not just with herself while Dash was trying to convince her to go to a trip to Yosemite.

_Dash._

She had been talking strictly about Neil the last hour and half and almost forgot about him as bad as that sounded.

Taking her phone out of her purse, she sent a quick text when she got the answer, she needed she headed to her destination.

****

“Hey,” Dash greeted as he opened the door to let her in, “I thought you were calling it a night?”

She took a few steps into the house making sure to not pass the entryway.

“Yeah I was but, there was something that was more important and then that led me back here.”

For a second she thought she saw a smile grow on his face but, Dash had known her for a long time, and he knew the tone in her voice didn’t mean something good.

“I love you Dash, you’re one of my best friends,” a part of her was hoping he would interrupt her do this whole thing for her but, he didn’t instead he let her talk. “And I always want you to be a part of my life but, I can’t carry on with pretending like I’m not in love with someone else.”

It was quite for a long moment; he took a few steps towards her wrapping her in a hug.

“This isn’t fair to either of us Claire, I know what Kayla was trying to do but, you have a life to live we found our soulmates, you need to find out if this guy’s yours.”

She could hear the crack in his voice.

“Dash,” she sighed.

When he pulled away from her, she could see the tears in his eyes feel the ones forming in her own.

“I love you too Claire, and I’m okay I swear she just wanted to make sure we would be in each other’s lives and I don’t know about you but, I plan on being all up in your business,” that made Claire laugh. “Its what she would want me to do,” he defended, he was not wrong which made her laugh even harder.

“Yeah I’m not going anywhere either,” she stated.

They hugged again for a long time, she ended up staying over they watched all the movies they used to watch in college making sure to play Kayla’s favorites. After she had died Dash had gone completely off the radar and she was already in a tailspin so, they had never really had a moment like this to remember her to celebrate her.

“So, who is it?” Dash asked at two-thirty that morning when they were both toeing the line of competency and sobriety.

Claire laughed again and shook her head, telling him it was no one and that in till she knew what she was going to do about she didn’t want to talk about it.

“Its that doctor isn’t it?” he asked out of the blue about an hour later.

She looked at him with one eyebrow raised.

“Dr. Melendez?” he asked she groaned.

“Is it that obvious?”

“Pretty much, I see the way he looks at you Claire-,”

“Wait what?”

“Dr. Melendez, I see the way he looks at you, it’s obvious.”

“I thought you were talking about me, not him,” she said suddenly feeling soberer than she had for most of the night.

Dash thought about it for a moment “I mean I guess you look at him pretty starry-eyed too,” he teased.

****

She left his place the next morning not exactly excited to be going to the hospital not to mention tired.

“You look awful,” Morgan stated as she walked into the residents' lounge.

She shot her a look “Thanks.”

“Sorry, that was harsh,” the blonde backed tracked Claire watched her close her eyes and take three deep breaths.

“Okay what is all of that?” she asked.

Morgan rolled her eyes but, Claire could tell, even though she was being a bitch- or bitchier than usual at least- there was something behind it.

“I’m getting surgery, I was diagnosed with arthritis and medication isn’t helping so this is my only option to keep practicing as a surgeon,” she explained evenly and quickly.

Claire nodded, “I’m sorry to hear that Morgan, you’re a great surgeon.”

“Thank you.”

“Let me know if you need anything,” Claire told her.

The blonde nodded her head, “I’m sorry again about the whole complaint thing, I was-,” she held up her hands and raised her eyebrows.

“Over-compensating?” 

“Pretty much.”

They sat in the lounge in relative silence in till Park and Murphy showed up, she was happy to see Murphy back and working though he was still very much dealing with his crap, they all were.

“So what kept you out all night?” Park asked her when he sat down with his coffee and a sigh.

She was about to ask how he knew but, it was Park so, instead, she just rolled her eyes “I was hanging out with Dash.”

“How’s all of that going?”

“It's not we ended the dating part of it but, ultimately Kayla’s last wish was for us to stay in each other’s life’s so we promised we would stick to that and then we stayed up watching all our favorite movies from college, hers especially.”

“That sounds nice,” Park stated.

She nodded, “Yeah it was,” she affirmed with a confident smile.

It went quiet again, they usually would have started rounds by now but, Lim had asked them to all be in the conference room by nine-thirty.

She had to admit she was a little bit upset when her heart started beating just a little bit faster when she saw him walking in the door behind Lim and Andrews, his eyes met hers first and she sent him her usual smile.

“Today’s going to be a bit different,” Lim started. “Dr. Melendez is going to the conference that’s in town with Dr. Glassman, so he won’t be back in till Thursday.

She looked at him and he gave her a look that says he’d explain later.

“So, we’ve decided to have you all work together on surgery, while Browne and Murphy since you are still technically on his rotation you will be taking care of Melendez’s patients but, we will all be in the OR, tomorrow”

She set the folder down on the table, Shaun grabbed it first looking over the surgery when his head rose slowly over the paper’s edge the other residents looked at him with question.

“This surgery hasn’t been done before,” he declared.

Lim shook her head with a slight smirk, “It hasn’t but, I believe we have the team to do it.”

Excitement grew in the air whispers started as Shaun put the folder down allowing other people access to its content.

“Don’t neglect your current patients but, surgery is in four days make sure you've studied up.” She told them they all nodded eagerly.

About forty-five minutes later rounds had been completed everyone decided to go get food before holding up in the lounge for the next twenty-four hours give or take but, she noticed Melendez hadn’t left yet so she gave some sheer excuse and headed to his office after the other’s continued down the hall.

“Hey,” Melendez greeted as she entered slower than usual.

“I thought you would have left by now,” she told him he nodded.

“Probably should of but, I had a few things to finish up.”

“Oh, I’ll let you get to it then,” she said quickly.

“Are you sure you look like somethings wrong?”

She shook her head quickly, “No, no nothings wrong I just wanted to see you,” she shook her head again, “see you and ask you about-,”

“Claire if somethings wrong you can talk to me; did something happen with Dash?”

“I kissed him.”

Neil’s face shifted between a grimace and a forced smile within a split second only to return to what he hoped was a natural expression.

Why that was the first thing out of her mouth she didn’t know or appreciate. She was better than this better than some lovesick teenager, and why she thought he wouldn’t see right through that she didn’t know.

“Well that’s good,” he said awkwardly, and she laughed dryly sitting in the chair across from his desk.

“No, it wasn’t, I mean it was but, it was part of the reason that we decided to end things.”

Neil’s mind was going about a mile a minute that was not what he had expected her to say and he didn’t like the way it was making him feel as a sense of relief washed over him.

“Oh Uhm, I’m sorry.”

“No it's okay, we both knew it wasn’t going to last we were both just trying to find Kayla in the other and neither of us are her but, we promised we would stay in each other’s lives he’s always been my friend and wasn’t just because he was with her.”

“So that’s a good thing then?”

“Yeah it is, he’s actually going to visit his parents for the week he hadn’t really talked to anyone after she died so, I think that’ll be good for him and when he gets back I’m sure we’ll hang out and stuff but, it's nice actually to have my friend back not have all the pressure of trying to make it work when that wouldn’t be fair to either of us.”

He smiled at her, though he noticed she was avoiding his gaze, “I’m glad, if this is what you want then you deserve it, Claire, you deserve-,” there was a knock at the door.

Glassman entered with his coat and briefcase in his hand. “You ready?” he asked Neil. “Good morning Dr. Browne,” he greeted, she told him the same.

“Yes, I just need to get my stuff together I’ll meet you downstairs,” he told the older man who nodded and left the room.

“I should let you get to it,” Claire said standing.

He was gathering stuff from his desk and putting it into his briefcase when she had said that, he turned around to tell her she was fine but, she was already halfway out the door when he looked back up. He took a moment watching her leave she was off he couldn’t tell why it obviously wasn’t Dash she seemed more excited to be his friend again and have him in her life than she had been to be dating him.

He finished putting all his stuff together quickly and went to meet Glassman. Before they left the building, he sent her a quick text asking if she wanted to get dinner or something tomorrow night so they could talk, she didn’t respond.

****

“Earth to Claire,” Morgan called snapping Claire out of her weird trance.

“Sorry, what were you saying?”

“Park and I have surgery we thought you and Murphy could use a break while we’re gone,” she said kindly.

“What’s wrong with you?” Claire asked quickly.

Morgan scoffed, “I can be nice plus we all have to be on our game for this and you’re already zoning out.”

“Sorry I will take that break,” she told her.

“You okay?” Park asked her after Morgan left the room apparently Murphy already had too.

“Yeah I’m good,” she told him, he nodded and left the room leaving her by herself.

She pulled out her phone looking at the last text she received.

_Neil 9:50 am: Dinner tomorrow night?_

_Neil 9:51 am: We can talk out whatever’s going through your mind._

Three hours later and she still hadn’t answered him, his words kept ringing in her ear;

_“If it’s the right person you shouldn’t wait for the right time.”_

Every time she started typing out a reply, she heard those words again, and she wondered if his opinion would change if he was the person in that scenario instead of Dash.

So, she ignored it figuring they would talk when he got back, either way, she shouldn’t be worrying about this now she had work to do. So that’s what she did she worked basically non-stop Park and Morgan were still in the O.R. with Andrews when she came back in to find Murphy studying as usual.

When the ground started shaking.

****

“Shaun, Shaun?” she called out into the darkroom.

“Claire,” she heard him call back he sounded scared.

There was debris in her hair but, the room looked okay from what she could see from the flickering lights above her head. She found him sitting on the ground both his arms stretched against the doorway he was underneath.

“Shaun are you okay?” she asked, trying to make sure their exit out of the lounge wasn’t blocked.

“I – I am okay,” he told her.

“Okay that’s good we need to go make sure everyone’s okay.”

“We should wait, there could be an aftershock.”

He wasn’t wrong but, they needed to make sure their patients were okay.

“I know Shaun but, right now we have a duty to our patients, we’ll take it slow can you come with me please.”

It took him a moment but, he nodded and got up, following her out of the room they headed towards their patients.

“Are you two, okay?” they heard a familiar voice call from behind them the turned around to see Andrews walking whit someone else.

“Yes, we are okay we are going to check on our patients,” Shaun told Andrews who nodded and looked at Browne she gave him a look that told him they really were okay.

“Okay, earthquake protocol hard hats are at all the nurses’ stations grab them before you go any farther.”

The residence nodded.

“Where are Reznick and Park?” Claire asked.

“O.R. Lim’s with them.”

The tone in his voice made her heart drop and that he wasn’t telling her everything.

He gave them a final goodbye and a be safe and then walked away with the man following him.

They did as they were told picked up hard hats, going first to their patients who all seemed to be fine and then finding out what else they could do to help.

****

“ _Neil?”_

He heard his name being called but, the sound was muffled there was ringing in his ears and the distant sound of screaming.

“ _Neil?”_

He heard it again; it was Glassman.

_“Aaron!?”_ he yelled back, not really knowing if it even made it out of his mouth.

Eventually, he saw the older Doctor, leaning against the wall coughing, he met up with him placing his hand on his shoulder. No words were exchanged they both just nodded at each other taking a moment.

The ringing in his ear finally went quiet, as he caught his breath looking around the room people were climbing out from under tables, names were being yelled.

“I need to call the hospital,” Glassman stated, looking up to the younger doctor whose face changed as he finally looked at his face.

“What?”

“We need to get help you’re going to need stitches,” he spoke evenly.

Neil’s hand reached up to his head feeling warm and wet sensation right above his eyebrow looking at his fingers he could see the dark liquid, and now he felt it as it ran down his face.

They started to walk to the center of the room where the others seemed to be heading as the event coordinator took the stage.

The aftershock hit.

****

“Okay we still have power, so we keep going people, be safe and get back to work you all know what to do.”

Andrews stated as people, family members, and patients came back out of the woodwork.

He took a few steps towards Dr. Browne, thinking it was probably his best bet to get the answer he needed and with Lim still trapped in the O.R. he needed to get all the information he could.

“Dr. Browne,” he called softly she walked over to him.

Just as his phone started ringing, “Sorry let me grab this,” he stated, “Are you okay?” he spoke into his phone, “Okay, okay good I’ll call you when I can, love you,” he hung up and turned back to her.

She looked like she had zoned out within the few seconds he was on the phone.

“Are you okay Dr. Browne?”

Her eyes snapped to his “Yes I’m fine what can I do for you?”

“I need you and murphy to go outside and help trauma they set up an area outside.”

“Okay.”

“Also, I need to know if you’ve heard from Melendez?” he asked.

Her expression shifted. “You haven’t?” she asked quickly.

He shook his head “Neither him or Glassman since the first shock.”

For a moment she looked like she couldn’t breathe, her head started shaking.

“No, no I haven’t heard from him,” she answered, “I’ll go downstairs.”

She walked away before he got a chance to say anything else also leaving him to tell Murphy himself.

As Claire walked downstairs she started searching her pockets for her phone only to find it wasn’t there.

****

“I can’t get signal,” Glassman stated stuffing his phone back into his pocket.

They were sitting against the only wall in the room that didn’t have a door, trapped for the time being, with the last shock the chandler had come down taking out chairs and tables it seemed like everyone was able to get out of its way.

Neil pulled out his phone, “I’ve got a bar,” he sighed he was getting tired.

“You need to stay awake,” Glassman reminded him, with all the commotion the second spike brought they hadn’t been able to find help for the large gash across Neil’s head Glassman could tell it was starting to get to him.

Glass men took off his jacket finding the seam he started ripping at it till the sleeve came off he rolled it up and handed it to Melendez who held the fabric against his head.

“Make sure you put enough pressure, we should try and get a hold of the hospital call Lim and Andrews,” Glassman told him as he looked over at Melendez’s phone he expected to see Lim’s name on it but, the contact Neil had pulled up wasn’t Dr. Lim it was Dr. Browne’s.

He pretended not to notice Melendez’s finger ghost over the call button before, exiting her contact page and finding Lim’s.

“No answer,” he stated, as scrolled to find Andrew’s contact.

It rang for a few times before the doctor answered, Neil, handed it to Glassman.

“We got six people trapped in the O.R. Lim, Park, Reznick, three nurses plus the patient who’s stable they were closing when it hit somewhat lucky.”

“Have you made contact?”

“Yes, they probably have some burses but, everyone is okay we’ve been able to get them some supplies just haven’t been able to get them out just yet shouldn’t be much longer.”

“What about you?”

“Were stuck as of right now he’ll need some stitches but, legs and arms are all okay were playing a waiting game.”

“How’s Shaun?”

“Murphy’s good outside working with Browne helping trauma and the first responders.”

Glassman didn’t think Neil heard what Andrews had said, and he needed the younger doctor to be a bit livelier.

“So, Browne’s okay?” he asked a little bit louder than he probably needed to but, he saw Melendez perk up slightly. He talked to Andrews about a few more things and then hung up, they might need the phone later more than they needed it now he wanted to conserve the battery.

“Everyone’s okay hospital’s in slight chaos but, all accounted for.”

Neil nodded his head slowly, Glassman deiced to do something he should have done earlier.

He took out his own phone and tuned on the flashlight shinning it in Melendez’s eyes who groaned.

“Follow the light,” he instructed.

Neil did as he was told realizing quickly what he was doing. He let Glassman finish the preliminary check.

“No signs of a concussion but, you’re still going to need stitches and get more scans when we get back to the hospital.”

Melendez nodded; Glassman noticed he had his phone open again fingers once again ghosting across Dr. Browne’s contact.

****

There was a loud crash and then silence over the radio for a long time, Claire’s heart started to sink into the wave of panic that was rising in her chest.

“I got her,” came a shaky voice, Shaun’s shaky voice.

The men and women around her jumped into action pulling Shaun from the hole he had literally crawled into pulling out a woman behind him who's neck Shaun had to stabilize before they could move her.

She let out a relieved cry and had to physically stop herself from hugging him when he got out from the hole with a few deep breaths and whipping the dust off his suit. But, when she approached him it was him who reached out to her.

“I am glad you are okay Claire,” He spoke quietly.

“I’m glad you’re okay to Shaun.”

Their hug didn’t last long snapping back into reality they took a few steps to tend to the women and try to find a way to get her into the hospital.

****

It was about an hour or so later when they were back in the hospital, greeting Lim, Reznick, and Park finally out of the O.R. their patient in a makeshift ICU.

“Glad you two are okay,” Park said giving Claire a hug she told him the same thing.

A little bit surprised when Reznick pulled her into a hug as well she almost expected Lim to do so as well but instead they all just stood there for a long moment, taking a long sigh of relief.

“That was Glassman they’re still stuck and it’s not looking good,” Andrews stated.

“What happened to Glassman?” Park asked.

Andrews shook his head, “Its Melendez not Glassman.”

There was that wave of panic again rising through her chest sloshing against her ribs. She could feel a few pairs of eyes on her but, she couldn’t figure out whose they were, and she didn’t really care to find out she had a feeling she knew exactly whose they were.

She started down the hall, making up some piss poor excuse as to why she was leaving but, no one stopped her. She reached the residents' lounge it took her a moment but, she found her phone. Cursing under her breath she picked it up off the ground the screen was shattered but when she pressed the button the screen still lit up. She picked it up and unlocked it, it took her longer than usual but, she eventually got to where she found what she was trying to get to and clicked on the contact.

It rang in till that robotic voice came on telling her the number she was trying to dial didn’t have a signal. Cursing again under her breath she slipped her phone in her pocket and went back to the others, sending a text to Dash on the way telling him she was okay.

****

“I think I heard someone saying people are coming up should be getting out of here soon,” Glassman told Melendez who was surprisingly still awake, they eventually had to use a necktie to hold the fabric tightly against his head that was almost two hours ago. Somehow, they had gotten water checked on the few people they were sitting with, all on complete autopilot.

“You talk to Andrews again?”

“Yes, they got everyone out of the O.R., power wasn’t lost for very long and the generators worked exactly how they were supposed to.”

“So, other than the earthquake they’re doing just fine,” he stated dryly.

“Looks like it.”

“How’s you’re leg?”

Glassman looked at him.

“I’ve known you for over ten years and you think I wouldn’t notice you limping?”

The older doctor nodded “Its fine, no numbness just pain since were talking why don’t you tell me why you haven’t called Dr. Browne.”

Now Neil was looking at him strangely, “I’ve known you for over ten years you think I wouldn’t notice,” he repeated his words back to him.

“What exactly are you noticing?”

“You never looked at Jessica they way you look at Dr. Browne and I knew how much she meant to you.”

“Dr. Browne and I are friends and as I’ve told Audrey nothing inappropriate is going-,”

“I’m not accusing you of anything I’m simply telling you what I see, she means a lot to you.”

“She deserves to happy,” Neil said tiredly.

“You don’t think you could make her happy?”

“I think I would make her life more complicated than it needed to be, she’s my resident and she has worked so hard to be where she is today, I can’t let her risk that.”

They went quiet again; he didn’t really know why he was telling Glassman this or what he was telling him even he hadn’t thought about this really.

“Shaun said you looked upset when her friend Dash came into town.”

“Murphy’s always watching, isn’t he?”

“The kids a walking reality T.V. camera.”

both laughed at that it quickly turned into couching from the dust still hanging in the air.

“I just want her to be happy.”

“It's okay if you want to be the reason as well.”

****

Claire tried again to call Neil as bright beams of the sunrise hit her face. They were supposed to be here, hours ago but, there had been more pressing matters to attend to considering the room they had been in was filled with people of only minor injuries.

They did rounds as they normally would mostly there were a few extra things they needed to do as the went through to different rooms. There were extra people to check on in the ER and people coming in trying to find their family members, it was a few hours later when she was told by Lim to go home. She nodded and went back to the residents’ lounge which they all four agreed to clean up when they got off so they wouldn’t have to worry about it.

As she made her way through the halls, she yawned a few times usually she would hold it in but, she felt like she deserved it after the night she had.

“Claire,” she heard from behind her.

She turned around instantly recognizing the voice. There was a large band-aid on his head his clothes were filled with dust and her heart broke seeing the dark red stains on his shirt. What she hadn’t realized was she hadn’t moved in till his arms were wrapped around her pulling her close to him.

“I’m so glad you’re safe,” he stated.

“Yeah me too, I tried to call you but-,”

“I know.”

They stayed like that for a while, in till she started to pull away. There were a thousand things she could’ve said but, couldn’t quite bring herself to say. She gave him another nod and they walked down the hall together separating when she went into the residents’ lounge and he went to his office. 

Thankfully once everyone got there they were all so tired they cleaned as quickly as they could solely focused on one thing, she asked Park is he was able to get a hold of his family he said he was and that Lim told him to take a few days off and go visit them. Morgan had decided to go to her parents and Shaun was going to stay at Glassman’s for a couple of days he had checked on both Carly and Lea both were okay.

Lim came into the room with Andrews to compliment them all on the job they did and that they had made her all proud but, Claire noticed her gaze shifting to the office next to them. After she left she watched the older Doctor walk into Neil’s office and give him a big hug, she couldn’t make out what they were saying but, she could see the relief on both their faces.

She was going to leave as soon as they had finished with the lounge and made some last-minute checks on their people in ICU, but, she found herself walking into Neil’s office instead.

“You should be at home,” she told him.

He let out a dry laugh, “Actually I was thinking about going for a run,” he teased, she rolled her eyes.

The room went quiet for a moment she was about to open her mouth say something but, she couldn’t not yet, so she told him to get home and left.

As soon as her head hit the pillow she was tossing and turning rather than sound asleep like she thought she would be. But, at least laying down was some kind of rest even though Lim had technically let them go early she still hadn’t gotten home till almost four p.m. and she took a much longer shower than usual trying to wash off all the dust. Now it was eight O’clock and the only thing that was running through her mind was that weird feeling of anxiousness and the insistent need to do something about it.

She got in her car wondering when she became so, dumb, reckless. She could practically hear her mom’s voice in her head singing I told you so and the apple didn’t fall too far from the tree.

She knocked on the door probably harder than she should have but, she was tried and running on adrenalin and that thought that she could have lost him still sitting in the pit of her stomach.

“Hey, are you okay?” Neil asked opening his door she just shook her head and he opened it to let her in.

“Yeah, how is your sister?” she asked.

“She’s ok- wait how did you know I went there?” he asked, and she shrugged, a small laugh escaped his mouth of course she knew.

“Yeah she’s okay, the one good thing about her short-term memory is things like this don’t really stick she should be back in normal spirts by tomorrow,” he explained.

“That’s good.”

Her voice sounded off, he gave her a look that told her he was seeing right through this front she was trying to put up.

“What’s going on?” he asked her.

She laughed trying to find the words and avoiding his eye line, her laughing didn’t take long to mix with tears.

“Claire?” he sighed, taking a few steps toward her, it stung when she took a small step back.

“Do you really believe what you told me?” She asked him.

He started to ask what but, she explained before he could, “That when you find the right person you shouldn’t wait for the right time?”

“Yeah, I believe that,” he stated.

Her head was nodding quickly as she took in his words, she started pacing slightly.

“I thought I lost you today, I thought I was never going to get to see you again and I was terrified and sad because I can not lose another person I love.”

Her eyes were bright red he didn’t think he’d ever seen her like this.

“I felt everything that I would miss our runs, dinners, even bowling. When I realized that none of those things had to with work that I would miss just seeing you before I would miss learning from you I didn’t- I don’t really know what to do because this isn’t fair for either of us and you were just trying to be a good mentor and friend so I wasn’t going to tell you.” She took a deep breath “but, then I spent the majority of the last twelve-fourteen hours thinking there was a pretty good chance you were gone and I can’t-,” she stopped again taking another breath collecting her thoughts, “I am in love with you Neil.”

She didn’t know what else to say after that, he didn’t know what to say to that. So, he didn’t say anything instead he walked towards her slowly pulling her against him holding her as close to him as he possibly could. He let her cry on his shoulder, and a few tears of his own still trying to process everything she had said he honestly didn’t know what he was feeling right now other than the indisputable fact that he didn’t want to let her go.

He pulled away from her just enough to look her in her eyes, “We should get some sleep,” was all he said he tilted his head towards his bedroom.

Not many words were exchanged after that, neither of them pushed the other he gave her a more comfortable shirt to sleep in and showed her where everything was in the bathroom when she came out he went in did his normal nightly routine, when he came out she was lying on the other side of his bed he could see that she was still crying by the way her shoulders moved.

He climbed into the warm bed put his hand on her shoulder his thumb made soft circles against the fabric of his t-shirt. He could tell her mind was moving a mile a minute she sat up.

“Maybe I should go, actually,” she told him, he started to protest but she kept going, “This was a bad idea and all it does is complicate things and I was right it was selfish and-,”

“Claire.”

She didn’t stop talking when he said her name but, she did when his hand found her cheek. Her eyes climbed from his neck to his own.

“You aren’t the only selfish one here,” he whispered.

His forehead met hers, as some sort of silent reassurance. She didn’t say anything instead she started to lay back down, though this time she closer than before and when he wrapped his arms around her, she nestled her head into the crock of his neck.

They both just laid there for awhile wide-eyed and staring at a different spot on the wall both trying to figure out a way around all the complication, They had a lot to talk about they both knew that and this was more complicated than either of them were willing to admit right now, so they didn’t. Instead, they just held each other a close as they could everything else faded away.

After a while, she sat up slightly.

“You can go if you really want to?” he told her sincerely letting his grip on her loosen.

She shook her head, “I don’t.”

He smiled at her, she bent down and placed a soft kiss on his cheek.

“We should get some sleep,” she told him.

He placed a loose curl behind her ear and nodded. She turned to lay on her side he did the same pulling her back against his chest his arm reached over her waist and found her hand holding it tightly.

He was still awake when her breathing evened out and he could tell she was asleep; he kissed her head and sighed. A part of him wished there was nothing in their way, the other glad there was because it meant all of her hard work had paid off that she was where she wanted to be just as he was. Then there was that small third part of him that didn’t want to ever have to let go of her, and the last and smallest part, the part of him that was scared that didn’t want to hurt her or get hurt again but, none of that had to be decided right now he didn’t have to jump through every hoop that was in their way or worry about getting hurt, and for the next eight hours, he didn’t have to let her go.

“I love you too Claire,” he whispered to her sleeping form.

Even though she hadn’t heard it the moment the words left his mouth he felt like a weight had been lifted from him though he knew he wasn’t going to feel so weightless for long, for now, he just kissed her head one more time and for the first time in a long-time sleep came easy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks, guys for reading!!!   
> As always please let me know what you think!!


	9. Marry Me

The hospital was quite as Claire walked through the fluorescent hallway, Morgan walked next to her mumbling something she didn’t make out, it wasn’t in till the blonde hit her arm lightly that she actually started to pay attention.

“Sorry, what did you say?”

“I asked if you wanted to go drinks with Park and Murphy.”

“Yeah sure,” she agreed.

It didn’t take long for either of them to change though it would have gone quicker if Morgan hadn’t talked the whole time usually Claire would have ignored her but when she started to say that pie was better than cake it turned into a full-fledged argument.

“I just don’t see how anyone can think pie is better than cake.”

“Its easy cakes fine but, the textures weird pie is usually smooth and there are more options.”

“Cheesecake,” Claire countered.

“That’s a pie,” Morgan stated without missing a beat causing Claire to stop in her tracks as Morgan kept walking.

“Cake is literally in the name.”

“That’s only because cheese-pie sounds too weird.”

Claire caught up to the blonde as her eyes rolled and her brain searched for another argument. She didn’t find one which was going to eat her alive along with her newfound craving for pie, cheesecake, and regular cake. At least Morgan didn’t say anything when the Burnett went quiet, though she could still see the smug smirk on her face out of the corner of her eye.

“Give me a minute I’ll meet you downstairs,” she told Morgan as were heading towards the offices.

“Okay I’m timing you,” she shot, Claire found her eyes rolling again.

As Morgan went to the left, she went to the right passing Andrew’s office, the residents' lounge, and then her destination.

She knocked before entering but, didn’t wait for Neil to tell her to come in, it wasn’t like anyone was in there anyways.

“Hey,” he greeted with that warm smile.

His eyes looked practically glazed staring at the screen in front of him, she noticed the first two buttons on his shirt had been undone and his hair was disheveled but, he stood from his chair quickly as she came further into the room.

“Hey.”

He approached her slowly planting a soft kiss on her head, “You okay?” She asked him.

“Yeah, yeah I’m fine just got some stuff I need to work out before Wednesday, I told Murphy and Park to go home but, now I’m starting to regret that decision,” he joked.

“Well I would tell you to just call them but, I don’t think Morgan would appreciate it if I took away our drinking buddies.”

He raised his eyebrow at that. “What happened to going straight home and sleeping till noon?”

“Sleeping till noon is still on the schedule however I thought I would just take a small detour. Its been a while since we’ve all gone out and Shaun actually agreed plus, you know I hate an empty bed,” She said with a flutter of her eyelashes.

He took in a sharp breath eyes going wide, “Dr. Browne are you flirting with me?”

She smacked his chest but, couldn’t help her smile. “If I had a dollar for every time you’ve done that, I think I could finally pay off my loans.”

“Yeah well I’ll stop doing it when you stop falling for it,” he smiled bending down to kiss her quickly.

“I can stay if you want me too,” she told him, he seemed in good spirits but, she could tell there was something bothering him.

“No I’m fine, besides the last time you stayed I don’t recall much work getting done,” he reminded her with a devilish grin thinking back to that night. 

****

_"What time is it?" Claire asked with a yawn._

_"Almost two, you know you can go home I sent Reznick and Park home, you're not even on my service," he reminded._

_she shrugged, "doesn't mean I can't help."_

_He started to argue but, figured it wasn't much use besides he wouldn't be able to argue staying every time she had a late-night if he made her go home._

_He sat next to her on the couch they worked beside each other quietly for almost a half-hour until he made the executive decision that they needed a break. She protested but, eventually gave in when his hands found her shoulders, his thumbs pressing into the perfect spot she practically moaned as he worked out the knots in her muscles._

_"I think you missed your calling," she sighed._

_he chuckled, finishing with a kiss to her temple._

_It was late and both of them were tired not to mention they hadn't seen much of each other that entire week, so when she turned back to look at him and his face was still so close to hers she didn't miss out on the opportunity to kiss him and when he kissed her back she moved closer to him pushing him back against the couch and somehow into the mug on the table._

_it fell to the floor with a soft bounce though the look on her face made him think they just broke the whole hospital, his hands moved down her sides._

_"We should go home," he stated, wishing he didn't have to interrupt this._

_She shot him a mischievous grin. "You got thirty minutes Melendez to get me from here to our bed."_

_His eyes went wide, "Oh that is so not fair." he laughed and picked her up off of him._

_She'd never seen him pick up his things so fast._

_it was exactly twenty-nine minutes later that she found her hands pulling softly on his hair as his lips made their way from her neck to her chest to her abdomen to the inside taking his time with the inside of her thigh._

**** 

Heat ran up her cheeks as thought about that night smacking his chest again, he let out a soft “Ow” between laughs.

“You’re the worst.”

He just shrugged with that signature grin.

“You want me to pick you up at the bar?” He asked a few moments later leaning up against the edge of his desk.

“Yeah,” she answered walking closer to him.

She wrapped her arms around his waist, his on her shoulders around her neck, his chin sitting perfectly on her head. She noticed how tightly he was holding onto her as if she was going to float away or disappear if he let go. Her concern started to grow back, as he held her. After their first six months together they had gotten more comfortable in showing their affection at the hospital not that they ever showed more than a handhold, hug, and the very occasional kiss after the next six months they got slightly more comfortable but, he never really held her like he was now, which is what he tended to do when something was bothering him or he was tired.

“Are you sure -.”

“Marry me?”

“-You’re okay?”

Both of their arms loosened as soon as the jumble of words was made into coherent phrases. She only took a step or two back from him but, it felt like she had jumped to the door.

“Uh I- uh didn’t mean- I’m sorry its been a long day,” he backtracked.

She was still trying to force her face back into a neutral expression knowing that the odds were; she looked like a deer in headlights.

Both nearly jumped to the ceiling when a soft knock echoed against his door.

“Hey, I think you’re right I don’t see another safe entry point,” Andrews stated walking into Melendez's office eyes still glued to the scans in his hand.

Neil walked a little bit quicker to take them from him, the older doctor finally looked up once the scans were out of his hands. He didn’t say anything but, once he looked at the two doctors he noticed a thick tension in the room.

“Why don’t you go ahead and go I shouldn’t be more than an hour and a half,” he told Dr. Browne.

“Okay,” she answered thankful for the escape.

She got to the door before that thankfulness was also accompanied by a bit of guilt, she opened the door turning slightly to look back.

“Let me know when you leave, love you.”

She saw the relief wash over him as she headed out the door.

“Okay, love you too.”

The door to his office closed slowly as an awkward silence grew around him and Andrews once the door had shut and Claire was well out of earshot Andrews crossed his arms as an amused smile crawled across his lips.

“What did you do?” he asked Neil.

“I didn’t do anything,” he lied, “And why do you assume it was me who did something wrong?”

“I never said it was right or wrong I just asked what you did,” he retorted.

Melendez shook his head, letting out an exaggerated groan and began to explain.

****

Morgan sat next to Park across from Shaun and Claire was asking the two men about their surgery that was coming up. Shaun was more than happy to talk about it he seemed excited. As Murphy talked, she noticed Claire staring absently at her drink, she gave Park a look but, he just shrugged.

“Earth to Claire,” she called after Murphy finished.

The Burnett didn’t even blink.

Claire’s mind was somehow completely blank and overflowing with thoughts at the same time. She stared into her drink as if somehow the foam of the beer would give her all the answers, she needed but, nothing came it was still just a glass of beer and she was still practically speechless.

It hadn't been much longer that she was snapped from her derailing train of thought with a flinch as Morgan clapped her hands right in front of her face.

“You okay?” she heard Park ask.

She looked at him, trying to compose herself a bit better “Yeah, yeah I’m fine.”

“I do not think that is true,” Shaun disagreed.

Claire groaned.

“Something with you and Melendez?” Park asked sincerely.

“I thought we agreed not to talk about Claire’s relationship with Dr. Melendez?”

“Yeah well, we made that rule almost a year ago when we thought they weren’t going to last,” Morgan clarified.

“ _Hey_.”

Morgan gave Claire a shrug, “Well it's true but, anyways since it doesn’t seem to be going anywhere I think it's fair to say we can talk about it if that works for you,” Morgan stated, all three of them gave her expectant glances.

“I guess.”

“Okay good, so what’s bothering you?” Park asked again.

As much as she honestly enjoyed the company of her fellow residents, she wasn’t exactly keen on having this conversation with them but, at the same time she felt sick to her stomach with just about every emotion, there was.

“I don’t know its nothing really-,”

“It doesn’t seem like nothing you were fine before you went into his office and then you’ve barely said two words since you left,” Morgan told her.

She heard Park sigh, “We’re just checking in you don’t have to tell us anything if you-,”

“He asked me to marry him.”

As soon as the words left her mouth, she took a long sip of beer as three surprised expressions moved through the room trying not to make eye contact with her.

“Uh - We’re going to need more drinks,” Park announced before getting up from the table.

****

Neil still picked her up as he told her he would though the ride back to his place, which was more of their place by now, was agonizingly quiet.

“Have you eaten?” she asked as they walked into the house, realizing it was the first thing she had said to him since she got in the car.

“Yeah, I ate before I left, uh there’s a couple more things I need to finish.”

Before she had a chance to say anything else, he retreated to the back porch.

She could see him as she moved around the kitchen he looked at a few scans made some marks on the chart next to his laptop then leaned back in his chair, she knew he was thinking about other things when she noticed his screen was black and he didn’t move to pull his page back up.

It didn’t take her long to finish her task, in the kitchen and before she made her way to the back porch, she went into their room taking off her work clothes and slipping into a pair of shorts and Neil’s Stanford shirt.

“It's getting late,” she said, from the doorway.

His head turned towards her slightly, “Yeah I think I’m done for the night,” he finished reaching over and shutting his laptop and gathering his papers sliding them all into his bag at the foot of his chair.

“Good.”

She walked over to the chair that was across from him handing him one of the bowls in her hand.

He raised an eyebrow at her, “What Morgan had me craving something sweet since we left the hospital and I figured you could use it too.”

He smiled at her taking a spoonful of ice cream into his mouth.

Both of them were happy to find them talking casually over their respective bowls he laughed as she told him about the crazy patient she had today. He talked a little bit more about his surgery, but, when their bowls were empty, he got quiet again, staring off into space.

She got up from the spot across from him, reached out to take the empty bowl from his hands setting it on the table with hers. She held out her hands to him and he took them standing up from his chair.

“Ask me again,” she told him her voice low but sure.

Now he looked like a deer in headlights, she raised an eyebrow at him with a smirk on her face.

“Are you sure?”

She nodded, “Ask me again.”

He started to speak before stopping his eyes found hers again with a wide smile, he moved in to kiss her quickly which caused her to giggle as they parted. His mouth opened and then stopped again; his hands moved from her forearms to her hands as he went down on one knee.

“You’re such a sap,” she laughed as tears started to fill her eyes.

“Oh, just you wait,” he warned with the same smile still on his face she could see tears starting to form in his eyes too. “There are a million things I could say about you, a million reasons why I love you but, to put it simply, You make me the best version of myself-,” his voice was starting to shake “-you are the best thing that has ever happened to me Claire Browne, will you marry me?”

Tears were running down her cheeks passed her wide smile. “Yes,” she answered nodding her head.

He stood up quickly, his hands left hers to cup her face bringing his lips to meet hers. He could taste the tears and feel the smile on her face against his lips. It didn’t take much longer for his hands to move down her back in till he lifted her off the ground. Her legs immediately wrapped around his waist, both careful not to break their connection in till Claire found herself laughing as he carried her to their room. He didn’t even bother to ask her what she was laughing at he was perfectly content to just listen to the sound of it echoing in his ear as she rested her head on his shoulder.

She moved her head from his shoulder when he passed through the doorway of their room, her hands found his cheeks and her eyes found his, she pulled herself into another kiss letting out a soft yelp when he tossed her on the bed climbing on top of her.

It didn’t take long for their clothes to find the floor. The night was filled with kisses and an unspoken competition of who could get the other to call out their name the most. It was safe to say Claire won, for that night at least.

“You sure you want to do this?’ He asked her again as she traced his tattoo, with her finger.

She stopped, sitting up slightly so he could look into her eyes.

“Positive, what about you-,” she sat up a little bit more, “Neil Melendez will you marry me?” she asked.

He laughed at her, “And you say I’m the sap?” he challenged, she shrugged with that perfect little smile on her face, he reached out to brush a piece of her from her face, she leaned into his hand when it landed on her cheek.

“Absolutely,” he answered, pulling her into another soft and more than sure kiss.

He rested his forehead against hers after the kiss broke. “I thought you might say that,” she teased.

He shook his head at her with a smile, he couldn’t hide “And people say I’m the cocky one,” he sighed sarcastically.

She shot him a look he brushed it off with another laugh and watched her as she laid back down against the mattress, he let her adjust herself before moving further under the covers. Though it probably didn’t make much difference to others he was excited to be waking up to Claire Browne his Fiancée in the morning. Even more excited to give her his grandmother’s ring that he may or may not have lost track of considering he had to hide eight months ago when his mother gave it to him after meeting Claire for all of ten minutes, and though his cheeks were practically sore he still fell asleep with an ear to ear smile on his face holding her as close to his chest as he possibly could.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hoped you all liked this piece, don't forget to tell me what you thought!  
> I plan on having a couple more chapters out this week to get us through until Monday but, like many of you, everything is pretty crazy right now, with that being said to anyone who has or is being affected by Covid-19 I hope you are staying safe, healthy, and informed!  
> Thanks again for reading guys!!


	10. Safe Place

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, guys, I hope you like this chapter!

Claire sat on the couch in the residents’ lounge trying not to audibly scream, as much as she loved her patients and her job but god momagers were the worst. Not that this mom didn’t mean well it was just that she seemed to be more focused on her daughters’ image than her health and currently it was her healthy that was in need of managing.

“Do you think she’s just scared?” Morgan asked coming into the room.

Claire looked up at the blonde, “What do you mean?”

“Taylor’s mom she seems cold and more than distant but, I was looking at Taylor’s Instagram and she lost her dad a couple of years ago what if he died during surgery and that’s why her mom’s so against it.”

“Or she just doesn’t think a possible four-month recovery fits into her daughter’s ‘image’,” Claire countered.

“Since when did you two switch places?” Park teased.

Both women scoffed at the accusation which just made him smile harder as he shook his head returning to the chart he was looking over.

Her phone rang pulling her out of thoughts she pulled it from her pocket immediately smiling at the caller Id and ignoring the looks from Park and Morgan.

“Hey,” she answered.

“Hey, I just got back, you going to come over tonight?”

She looked at her watch and the papers in front of her, “Yeah should only be about an hour.”

“Okay, I’ll make dinner I’m assuming you want my chicken pasta?”

“I guess you are smart,” she teased hearing him chuckle form the other side of the phone.

“I guess so, I’ll see you soon love you.”

“Love you too.”

With that, she hung up feeling a bit guilty about the fact she might be looking forward to their dinner than seeing him.

“I thought he wasn’t supposed to get in till tomorrow?” Morgan asked.

Claire shrugged picking her paperwork back up, “He was but, the surgery went better than expected and Dr. Karla from Sacred Heart is going to stay an extra day.”

The blonde nodded at her answer holding out a file for the Burnett to take from her.

It was about forty-five minutes later that Andrews told them they could go whenever their paperwork was complete Taylor had convinced her mom to go home and get some real sleep so they wouldn’t have anyone to try and persuade till the morning anyway. About fifteen minutes later she said good night to the others and left.

A warm feeling in her stomach started to form as she pulled into the driveway and got out of her car. As she entered the house the smell of lemon and pepper filled her nose, she had planned on sneaking up on him knowing how focused he could be when he was cooking but, he was already waiting for her and greeted her with a bright smile.

She practically ran into his arms with the same smile on her face she crashed into him with a laugh and kissed him happily.

“I missed you.”

“I can tell,” he teased lifting her up slightly off the floor kissing her some more.

They broke apart when they remembered he still had things simmering on the stove.

“Why don’t you go change this is pretty much done,” he told her as she followed him into the kitchen.

She nodded and walked to the bedroom to pull on a pair of leggings and one of his Stanford shirts that was basically hers now. She let her hair down having had it up all day she combed through it with her fingers then let it fall where it pleased.

Walking back into the kitchen he heard him ask if she wanted wine to which she replied with an adamant yes, he chuckled.

“Bad day?” he asked as she came back into his view.

She shook her head “No, just frustrating.”

“Want to talk about it?”

She thought about it for a moment “Maybe later right now I just want to eat a nice dinner,” she answered he nodded handing her a plate.

She waited for him to get his plate and sit down across from her before taking her first bite which made her eyes roll back in her head.

He laughed again watching her, “I’m starting to think this dish is an aphrodisiac,” he said.

Claire shot him a mischievous wink “I guess we’ll just have to see,” she made a point of putting another bite her mouth and taking a little extra time pulling her fork out of her mouth while he was still watching.

He just shook his head with heated cheeks and looked back at his plate.

They didn’t talk much during their dinner the silence was comfortable and a nice miniature detox from reality. It didn’t take them long to finish either and she helped clean up working together perfectly without even saying a word.

“You know I had an idea,” he said a little while later.

She shifted a little bit in his lap so she could look at him her eyebrow was raised waiting for further explanation.

“We both have a three-day weekend next weekend and I’m sure we could both get a couple of extra days I haven’t used a sick day in years and I know you’ve barely used any of yours so I was thinking we could go to Yosemite; I have a friend who has a cabin out there, we could just get out of the city for a while.”

“What brought this idea?”

He shrugged “I just thought that it be a nice change of pace.”

She thought about it for a moment their relationship was still pretty fresh but, they had jumped through all the hoops they needed to and been cleared so it's not like it would look weird they were going to be talked about regardless of their behavior so what could a couples getaway hurt.

“Let’s do it,” she said moving in for a kiss.

***

“He’s going to propose.”

“We’ve only been together for five months he’s not going to propose,” Claire argued with Morgan as the waited for the machine to finish scanning their patient.

“Then what’s the point?”

“I don’t he just wants to get away for a little bit and honestly I do too, its sweet. Plus, couples go on trips all the time without proposals.”

“Maybe but, there’s usually an ulterior motive.”

Claire just shook her head and turned her attention back to the monitor. She hated to admit it but, it did get her thinking about what the ulterior motive might be she pushed the thoughts to the back of her mind and just told her self she just needed to get through these next few days and it would just be her and Neil in a beautiful cabin alone for five days.

****

“I can’t get over how beautiful this place is,” Claire stated, walking back into the cabin.

They had already been here for three days but, she was still awestruck. It wasn’t a huge place, but it was all log, with high ceilings, multiple fireplaces, a deck that overlooked the forest, and an amazing master bedroom.

She set her water bottle on the counter and took off her sweater. They had just come back from a beautiful sunset hike working off their dinner and earning more than one helping of dessert.

“I think I’ve decided to be a hermit, you are more than welcome to go back without me,” she said.

He laughed at her hugging her from behind, “I don’t think I could go back without you,” he joked sweetly.

“Then I guess we're stuck here.”

He laughed again spinning her in his arms, so she was facing him “I guess so,” he agreed leaning down to kiss her.

It didn’t take long for him to move his hands so he could pick her up she wrapped her legs around his waist and tightened her arms around his neck, he took them into the master bedroom.

He laid her on the bed parting only to slip his sweatshirt over his head, he took his time taking off her shoes, toed off his own before crawling over her.

“Have a told you how much I love this sports bra?” he asked making her laugh.

It was honestly one of her favorites too though they probably liked it for different reasons she liked it for the support and its comfortable fit, not to mention she found it for sale at Tj-max fifteen dollars well spent. Neil, on the other hand, seemed to like it more for the zipper that sat between her breasts.

He unzipped it slowly planting kisses on her skin as it became exposed once it was unzipped, she lifted herself off the mattress slightly so he could take it off her shoulders. While he was distracted, she took the opportunity to flip them over, so she was one top. A proud smirk formed on her face with the audible response it brought from him.

She took a page out of his book and moved down his body in till she could plant her own kisses up his abdomen tracing his tattoo with her finger she bit a spot on his neck one of his hands tightened in her hair while the other squeezed her hip. She finished her work on his neck and moved up his cheek and then started for his lips taking her time rubbing her nose against his till she could kiss the top of it which always made him blush, she was about to go for his lips when a yawn overtook her.

Neil burst out in laughter as she groaned and dropped all of her weight onto him, burying her head into the crook of her neck.

“Don’t laugh,” she chastised as she was laughing too.

He tried to stop but, it was no use she groaned again and smacked his chest, he rolled them over and then off her getting up from of the bed, he held out a hand to her.

“Come on let’s get you showered, and I’ll tuck you in,” he teased.

“You’re going to pay for that,” she threatened taking his hand and letting him lead her to the shower where they were able to finish their original task with much success.

They climbed into the bed after that he turned on one of the games which sent her straight to sleep.

She woke up in a dark room looking at the clock it was just past eleven. She really was tired she felt like they hadn’t stopped moving since they got here and he seemed to be on overdrive, always suggesting a new task or activity right after the next. Morgan’s voice rang in her head but, she couldn’t think of an ulterior motive that would make sense, she knew he wasn’t proposing and this wasn’t some kind of I’m sorry for sleeping with the tennis instructor trip not that he would ever be that kind of man.

She rolled over finding his side of the bed empty, and it aggravating that she was probably going to have a hard time sleeping tonight. She got out of bed and went to go find him it wasn’t a large place, so it didn’t take long. He was sitting on the deck with his laptop and papers on the table in front of him.

“Weren’t you the one that declared this a no-work zone?” she asked, causing him to jump a little.

He chuckled and leaned back in his chair as she walked towards him when she was close enough, he grabbed her hips and pulled her down on to his lap.

“Lim needed a consult, I figured it wouldn’t hurt to get a jump on somethings.”

She looked at the scans on his computer looked like a bad spinal fracture, but it wasn’t the scans that sent her back into her search for his possible motive.

“Couldn’t sleep?” he asked adjusting her blanket to cover her legs better.

“No, surprisingly,” she answered still staring at the date.

“Do you want me to come back up I already finished-,”

“It been a year,” she spoke, she felt his form grow stiff underneath her, telling her he knew exactly what she was talking about.

“That’s why you wanted to do this it’ll be a year tomorrow,” she realized wondering how she could have missed it.

He sighed “I’m sorry I should have said something but, the point of this was to I don’t know- distract you or to keep you from having to worry about work if you needed some time but since you hadn’t said anything I didn’t want to either incase that just made it worse,” he confessed.

She didn’t say anything for awhile she didn’t know what to say so instead she just laid her head against his shoulder and let him, holder, just a bit tighter while she collected her thoughts. Tomorrow would be one year since her mom died and she had absolutely no clue how she felt about that or why she didn’t even notice.

There were a thousand different things rushing through her head and if she was honest, she didn’t know how she felt about this trip now either or if she was upset with him. What she did know at the very least was that he had the best of intentions and right now that was enough.

She lifted her head and he turned to her with a nervous expression.

“You okay?”

“I don’t know,” she answered honestly.

“I’m here if you want to talk about it.”

“I know,” she leaned into him kissing his lips softly. “I love you,” she said.

“I love you too.”

She smiled at him and nestled back into him looking out over the trees. They sat in silence for a long time as he held her letting her think and process or just empty her mind and just take in the view and peacefulness. He was surprised when she started talking about half an hour later, even more, when he realized the story was about her mom but, he listened and laughed when she did. The story was one of the few good ones she had with her mom and as they laughed, he felt a hot tear on his shoulder but, he didn’t say anything just continued to hold her as tight as he could.

He probably would never realize how much that meant to her, as much as she loved this trip and adored this place, her favorite place would always be in his arms pressed against his chest or her head buried in the crook of his neck that was her safe place, her favorite escape was his embrace, where she could hear his heartbeat in her ear, feel his warmth-

Though as she looked out at the trees and the star-filled sky this place might be a close second.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading hopefully the season finally tomorrow doesn't crush our dreams lol.   
> as always let me know what you think I love hearing from you guys!!  
> Stay Safe - K <3


	11. Six Months

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, it been so long guys everything is crazy right now and that "season finale" wrecked me - good thing I live in the land of denial and better writing lol. So we say this technically takes place after 3x20.

It was Thursday- no Friday, Claire and Morgan had been at the hospital for almost forty-eight hours and somehow, she was more energized then she had been when her shift had started Wednesday afternoon, Morgan seemed to be pretty energized too. When Park had offered them his ‘magic coffee’ that got him through finals, the police academy, a newborn, and medical school – she had been worried knowing Park it was perfectly plausible that he did it on his own resolve but, after a cup or two she might be inclined to agree this coffee did have magical qualities. In fact, she was tempted to take a vial of it down to Carly and see what it was made of –

The alarming sound of her pager yanked her from her inner controversy. Morgan jumped up first as they headed to her patient’s room.

“You’re still not allowed to touch anything,” she reminded the Blonde in her best Saint Claire voice.

It wasn’t that she didn’t want Morgan here it was more so that, she was still vying at a chance to return to the O.R. and not just to observe, but, after three surgeries she still had about three months of healing and therapy to see if the last one had actually worked. The weirdest thing was that the whole experience had made her nice. Claire knew deep down Morgan might be a cut-throat competitor with a kill or be killed attitude but, a little bit deeper down she was kind and she really did care about the people around her – but, the surgeries had made her nice, nice like she had grown tired of trying to get ahead knowing she would have nine months of catch up work to do after her hands healed - if they healed. So, she wasn’t so cutthroat anymore instead she was focused on healing and helping in any way she could as long as she was able to learn something from it. Sometimes Claire missed the old Morgan but, she was glad to have a friend these last six months that was slightly more separated from her situation than her now fairly close friend – Lim.

“I swear I won’t touch a thing.”

“You said that last time-,”

“Okay but, that was different he needed CPR and it didn’t require me to separate my fingers.”

Claire groaned at that – she had to admit if Morgan hadn’t been there and done CPR when she did they probably would have lost their patient but, every time she put pressure on her hands and fingers was lowering her chances of ever being able to return to an O.R.

When they went into the room Lim was talking to Carol, the women smiled when they entered the room.

“I think you ladies are off the hook tonight,” Carol said with a smile.

The two residents looked at Lim.

“Her vitals are better than we expected, blood and other labs all look clear, great job Dr. Browne.”

“I second that,” Carol said, they all laughed.

They were walking out of the room about fifteen minutes later when Lim told them both told them Carol was right and they were done for the night – or more like late afternoon.

“Drinks?” she asked, looking at both of them.

“I wouldn’t want to intrude,” Morgan said awkwardly.

“Nonsense, I think we would be both be glad for the company, besides I heard about your save today – as the chief I say, great job but, as a mentor you need to be more careful.”

“Yes ma’am,” Morgan answered glad she hadn’t been chewed out, she had made a few ballsy moves recently and eventually her luck of them all working out was going to wear off.

“Claire, drinks?”

The Brunette thought about it for a moment and then nodded. Finding herself at a bar with the two women forty-five minutes later.

It was a nice place a couple of miles from the hospital that had opened up about three months ago she had been wanting to try it out but, she and Lim usually stuck to the same place when they went out which had become less frequent.

“Well at least it's not overly millennial,” Morgan stated after they got their drinks.

Both Lim and Claire laughed, every now and then the old Morgan would appear usually in the form of an obscure complaint.

“Isn’t that something, I should be complaining about?” Lim commented.

Morgan narrowed her eyes at her “I don’t know I feel like you’d secretly like a place like that,” she turned to Claire “You, on the other hand, would prefer a stage, and exposed brick, a single spotlight and on of those old-timey mics where all the waiters wear suspenders.”

Lim scoffed looking at Claire who just sipped her drink, “She’s actually right,” she shrugged, Lim shook her head with a smirk.

“How’s your mother Reznick?”

“Heath wise better, mother wise she’s sympathetic but ecstatic I have time to reevaluate every career choice I’ve ever made.”

“Ironically my medical career was the one thing my mother and I ever really agreed on,” Claire said with a halfway fond smile, “But, I think a part of that was the money – she liked to pretend student loans didn’t exist.”

“My mom had issues with it too, she absolutely loved the idea of me being a doctor but, not the part where it got in the way of finding a man and settling down – the whole I don’t want kids whether I was a doctor or not really didn’t go over well, even more so after my divorce.”

Claire kind of liked having Morgan here as well it seemed to help both her and Lim both get away from only talking about the patients, or what was currently keeping them up at night.

“How are things going with what’s his name?” Morgan asked Lim.

The older women looked at Claire who shrugged.

“Nurses know everything,” Morgan stated, nonchalantly.

Lim stirred her drink softly. “He’s good, its good but its new even after four months it stills feels new and I don’t know if that’s good or bad,” she answered honestly.

“Well, how long did you know your ex before you started dating?”

“About a year.”

“How many relationships have you had since then?”

“Two.”

“And before?”

“Three maybe four,” Lim answered not really knowing why but, she had to admit she was kind of curious about what Morgan was getting to.

“Okay so out of all four of those relationships what was the shortest time span between meeting and dating.”

Lim thought about it for a moment “About a year if not more.”

“And how long have you known…?”

“Matthew,” Lim stated.

“How long have you know Mathew?”

“Five months.”

“And you’ve been dating for four?”

“Correct.”

“Then that’s your answer or issue depending on how you look it this is the first time you’ve gone into a relationship without knowing them for at least a year first, so yeah it’ll probably feel new longer than usual because you're getting to know him while starting a relationship.”

Lim looked at Claire again and then back to Reznick wearing a proud smile.

“Yeah it sucks when she’s right,” Claire teased – Mostly.

Lim still looked shocked trying to shake the surprised smile from her face as she finished off her scotch. They talked about Carol’s surgery for a little bit, and another surgery they had coming up plus one Lim had done with Park. Eventually, there was only one thing they hadn’t talked about that usually made its way into their conversation – maybe it was Park’s magical coffee or some minuscule pieces of peace but, tonight she didn’t feel like talking about it, not tonight – the night that made it six months exactly.

“I can drive you,” Reznick offered about an hour later.

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, I’m going that direction anyway.”

Claire raised an eyebrow, “I told my mother I would stop by and try to make it for dinner but, I didn’t want to sit through a whole dinner with her.”

“Yeah, that would actually be helpful.”

The three women talked for another thirty minutes and then got up to leave. Lim opted to walk back to the hospital, she hadn’t been there for the full forty-eight hours Browne and Claire had and she wanted to catch up on things – Claire could tell it was a front or at least an excuse but, she wasn’t one to talk.

“We’ll see you tomorrow?” she asked giving Lim a quick hug.

“Yeah, I’ll be there.” The older woman promised to give her a knowing look and a quick squeeze of her arm.

The car ride was mostly quite Morgan asked a few questions that Claire answered less than enthusiastically, and she got the picture. When she brought up her hands voluntarily Claire knew she was trying to distract her.

When the car stopped, Claire started to get out of the car and then turned back around.

“Thank you,” she stated.

Morgan knew what she was talking about without having to ask, she just gave her a soft smile and a nod.

It was just after eight when she got into the house. She had two choices leave all her stuff piled by the door and deal with it in the morning or do it all now. She opted to go with the second choice considering she had tomorrow off and had nowhere to be until one-two o’clock. She walked into the bedroom, every sound seemed to be louder than usual as her clothes pilled on the floor and she got into the shower of the empty apartment.

Crawling into bed she set an alarm for noon just incase she slipped into a mini comma, then she curled up and fell asleep in the middle of the bed like she usually did.

***

“You know you didn’t have to do this,” Claire said awkwardly, “Or come with me I guess.”

“Claire you asked me to come, as a friend and I don’t let my friends do things they don’t want to do alone – alone,” Lim answered.

She was right Claire had asked her to come fearing she wouldn’t be able to drive herself or incase she froze up in the middle of the highway – she hadn’t really thought about it from Lim’s point of view till about a week ago when she had confirmed their plans. But she still wanted to go and honestly, Claire thought she had every right to be there as much she herself did.

White-nose filled her ears as they waited in the crowded airport, she felt a hand on her shoulder and looked back to see Lim giving her an encouraging nod, time felt like it was crawling – then it stopped for a brief moment it stopped.

She saw him, walking through the baggage claim, his hair had grown out so had his beard she wanted to run – or faint – she really couldn’t tell the only thing she could feel was her heart attempting to beat its way out of her chest. She stood there as he approached them giving Audrey a long hug, she tried not to cry but, it wasn’t much use when he let her chief of surgery go, and his eyes found hers.

It all disappeared the people, the never-ending boarding calls, the entire baggage claim was gone, it was just her – and him – three – no – two – no – zero feet apart for the first time in six months.

She practically jumped into him arms holding tightly around his neck, holding him as close as possible letting her tears soak into his shirt as he hugged her tighter.

When his grip loosened just enough, she pulled her head back and kissed him, feeling his lips against hers kissing her back she couldn’t help but, laugh – after everything, the only thing she wanted to do was laugh.

“I’m sorry I was gone so long,” he whispered in between planting multiple kisses all over her face.

She shook her head “I can take six months if it means I have you for the next-,” she stopped herself not wanting to say too much just in case things had changed for him.

“You got me, rest of my life,” he stated, looking her in the eye, “I love you.”

“I love you too,” she cried, laughing as he whipped away her tears.

“I think we need a drink,” he teased turning to Lim with a smirk.

The three of them headed out of the airport, Neil begged Claire to let him drive but, she told him she wasn’t about to let him behind the wheel after six months of not touching a car – then decided he could drive them from the bar to Lim’s place and then home.

They stayed for about two hours at the bar, he told them all about his trip and how shocked he was to find his spot not crawling with tourist – the resort on the other side of the island probably helped with that – he worked some doctors after he had been there for a month or so in one of the town's clinics, he read Moby Dick again, found an even better place then what he’d found before stayed there for most of his trip read every book he got his hands on and just waited. Healed.

At first, Claire was more than nervous about his idea he had just come from a death's doorstep and he wanted to go sit on an island in the middle of nowhere to heal but, after everything and a whole nights worth of discussion she had agreed in fact she went with him for the first two weeks and then came home. That was probably her deciding factor being there seeing him calm focused on himself she knew it was what he needed. He had planned to come home after a month but, it was Claire that had kept pushing him to stay she could hear it in his voice every time he called eventually she stopped picking up only replying to his text messages to make sure he was still breathing. But, when he called her last month she could tell it was different.

“I need a month,” he had said.

“That’s a change of heart usually you already have a flight booked by the time you call,” she had teased.

“Well I’m sure you already know this but, you were right I need to give myself time – so, I’ll see you in a month, Claire.”

It was exactly a month from that call when she reached out to him in the airport – he was a man of his word.

She kept her promise too letting him drive Lim home though, she probably would’ve rathered Claire drive with his incessant teasing and grilling about her new boyfriend. Multiple threats of firing were made but, he just shrugged it off and kept egging her on. They seemed happy, with their relationship Claire hopped they were at least – it would never, not be different than what it had been before they were together but, watching someone you love being dragged to death’s door and then yanked from him had a funny way of making things less complicated.

“You two be safe and I will see you on Monday,” Lim bid as she got out the car, she started walking towards the door but, then turned around.

“You're positive you're ready?” she asked Neil, this was one of those times she managed to be both the Chief and a friend.

“Its been six months Audrey, I’m ready,” he assured.

She sighed and nodded waving at them again. He watched as the door opened and a man stepped out on the porch to greet her with a big smile waving at him and Claire. Though Neil was focused more on Audrey, he could barely see her but, he saw her face light up as she approached the man hugging him tightly and turning back around to the car to wave with him, as Neil pulled away.

“You okay?” Claire asked.

“Yeah actually, I don’t think I’ve been this okay in a long time,” he said turning to her with a smile.

He put his hand out for hers, bring hers to his lips when she took his.

“Mind if we take a quick detour?” he asked, she was about to ask where but, it came to her quickly honestly, she felt bad not saying something her self but, her last week had been crazy.

They arrived at Gabby’s not much later a giddy smile on his face as they walked hand and hand to see his sister. She was just as excited to see him, showed him all things she had worked on in the last few months including some stuff Claire had helped her with. He tried to hide the tears in his eyes as he watched his sister laugh and tease him with Claire – scoffing when he asked what was so funny and she told him ‘inside joke – wouldn’t be funny if we told you.’ Claire was more than smug after that.

It was surreal to him driving back to his house the one Claire had been staying in since he’d left, seeing her things around his place, her picture on her sister’s dresser, the screen saver of his phone. He laid in bed with her head on his chest and his fingers combing through her hair. He thought back to when he would see her around the hospital her first few months when she was just starting out and they weren’t quite working together yet. To the night he had overstepped asking if she wanted kids and she answered it with such poise and grace he had to actively try and remember the question instead of just focusing on the way she had with words. All that time, those moments years he spent seeing her working with her it didn’t make sense to him someone who spent his whole life walking into a room and having a safe bet on being the smartest one there that God or fate or whatever it was had smacked him so silly.

_“Finding someone you can’t live without – now that’s hard.”_

Except it hadn’t been not for him anyway, it might have been a long road and he had his heart broken a few times but, it wasn’t hard to find her honestly she found him – at the most perfect time possible in the most unexpected of ways.

“What are you thinking about?” he asked her, trying to pull her attention away from this scar she was absently tracing on his chest.

She shook her head a little bit, then he moved to pull her up with him as he put his back to the headboard. He waited with a raised eyebrow and she shrugged.

“I’m just really glad your alive,” she answered honestly tears streaming down her eyes.

He pulled her close to him again kissing her head.

“I’m glad you’re alive too.”

She giggled at that, he loved making her laugh. Sitting here now he didn’t know how he had been able to stay away from her for six months but, he didn’t regret it – he was just glad to be home.

“I think I did it,” he spoke a little bit later.

“Did what?”

“I found my person I can’t live without.”

She propped herself up on his chest looking him in the eye her cheeks hot.

“I’m sorry it took me so long to realize it,” when his hand found its place on her cheek, she leaned into it tilting her head to kiss his palm.

“You should be I was literally right in front of you.”

His hand dropped and she couldn’t hold back her laughter, rolling off him to her side of the bed.

“Oh, you’re trying to run away from me now?” He accused practically crawling after her.

She yelped and giggled as he pinned her down to the mattress.

“You’re ruthless Dr. Browne,” he announced with a wide smile.

She shrugged “I do have a reputation.”

He lowered himself, slowly getting closer until his lips were at her ear.

“You know I seem to recall I have a bit of a reputation too.” He whispered.

“You’ll have to remind me.”

As soon as the words left her lips his lips were on her neck, biting and kissing that spot that made her squirm in the best we possible. His left hand moved down her side and back up again to pull his shirt off of her.

“I love you, Neil,” she told him after the shirt found its way to the floor and her hands held his face.

“I love you too Claire.”

She pulled him back to her lips both feeling the other’s smile against their own lips. They spent the night intertwined hands and lips rediscovering every part of the other’s body. Relief and pure joy filled the bedroom six months of waiting and mulling over every detail wondering if there was more she could have done – what if it hadn’t been enough – faded and the only thing left to think about was the man holding her tightly against his chest whispering ‘I love you’ after planting tired kisses on her shoulder, his hand intertwined with hers, and his heart that she could feel against her back strong and constant. Alive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really hoped yall liked it and will join me in ignoring the season finale lol. I will try to start updating more frequently now that I have some time, I am also working on a multi-chapter fic as well that is honestly pure fluff because its what we deserve and what Melendaire deserve.   
> Thanks so much for reading guys! I love hearing from yall so, tell me what you think!


	12. Date Night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a nice bit of fluff with a sprinkle of angst. : )

The noise of the restaurant buzzed in Neil’s ear, as he put another bite into his mouth and took a long sip from his wine glass. He didn’t think it’d be this hard – awkward actually it was never hard being around Claire Browne but, this dinner – this date, their first date – was taking a nosedive. He picked her up, around eight as they had agreed, talked a little bit in the car, and then arrived here where they talked a bit more.

Now they were silent as they ate. Already in agreement, they would table all work talk, leaving their lives and the world outside of medicine the only subjects left but, they already knew so much about each other they quickly ran out of topics.

He heard Claire giggle as he took another sip of his wine – looking over to him he raised an eyebrow.

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

He shook his head “Nothings wrong.”

She cocked her head, both of them knew damn well they could read each other like a book.

He sighed, “I wanted this to be better, you deserve better – a real and proper date.”

She smiled, “That’s sweet and, if it makes you feel better the food here is as good as you said it would be so I’ll give you that one.”

Neil smiled a little bit.

“Why don’t we get the check and go do something that’s a little more us, I know you wanted this to be special and it is but, we’re way past the small talk and getting to know.”

He agreed and within a few minutes, they were heading out of the restaurant. Once they got outside she put her hand out to him when he went to take it with his own she shook her head.

“Keys,” she demanded.

He laughed “No way, you are not driving my car.”

“Why not?”

“Because I’ve seen you drive its almost as bad as your cooking,”

She punched his arm for that comment, he pretended as if it hurt.

When they got in the car he had to keep himself from laughing at the visibly pouting Claire in the passenger seat. They sat in the car for a moment he weighed his options. She obviously had a plan somewhere she wanted to take him, and he didn’t but, he really wasn’t too far off about her driving.

He held out the keys watching a bright smile form on her, face as she reached out for them, he pulled them back.

“Please be careful,” he pleaded.

She rolled her eyes that bright smile still on her face and agreed.

The ride was short, maybe ten minutes if not fifteen to get a little bit of distance between them and the city. She pulled into a parking lot of what looked like a park.

He looked at her up and down she was wearing a nice dress that reached right above her knees and heels, and it was about fifty degrees outside.

“Come on,” she said getting out of the car, placing her purse firmly on her shoulder.

He followed after her making sure to grab his suit jacket, and handing it to her, she smiled down at it and put it on before he started to get pushy – she already knew he was caring but, she was starting to notice just how protective he was too.

Claire hands him her purse to hold while she put on his jacket, his face got red looking at her in it – in his clothes.

This time when he took the hand she reached out to him she didn’t correct him. They walked through the park hand in hand, talking about whatever it was that came to mind – it was natural. He didn’t talk too much he preferred to listen to her tell stories of when she was a kid and the crazy things her mom did. She seemed to be able to talk about her more in a way that didn’t make her angry or resentful just nostalgic.

“So, I guess I shouldn’t buy you flowers after this is over?” he asked, “I mean we know what happened to the last guy that did that,” he teased.

She laughed, knowing he didn’t mean anything by it – in fact, he liked Dash they were fairly similar people and she had already told him that he wasn’t a part of her life that would be going away, Neil was fine was more than fine with that – he was happy. Claire had lost a lot of people in her life and she deserved all the love people were willing to give her especially good people like Dash.

“Ah yes, his fatal mistake –,” she looked at Neil with wide eyes “- those who do not study history are doomed to repeat it.”

He laughed at her words and the serious face she was attempting to make while she said them. He hadn’t realized they had stopped walking.

“Here,” she said pulling out her phone, and what looked like headphones “Since we didn’t bring our running shoes I figured we could do something different.”

He put the headphone into his ear, then gave her a smirk “I knew you liked the Prom king,” she laughed.

When they both had their pieces securely in their ears she put on arm around his shoulder while on of his went around her waist, she pressed play and slipped the phone back into her bag, taking his hand and putting her head on his shoulder.

They started swaying to the music when he stopped.

“Is this you?” he asked looking down at her.

She looked back up with a shy smile.

“Possibly,” she answered, he could see the flush in her cheeks in her nervous smile as she returned her head to his shoulder burying her face in his neck.

He wanted to say something but, he mostly wanted to listen and dance with her.

So, he did, he swayed to the music as her voice swelled in his ear, he knew she could sing – or at least he assumed knowing her mother could and they both loved music but, this – this was entirely different.

“I was mad too,” he said suddenly, their dance bringing up feelings he didn’t realize he had.

She looked at him a little bit confused.

“I know it wasn’t fair, or right but, I was mad when she died-,” Claire didn’t have to ask who the - _she_ \- was he was referring to “I wanted them to see them grow up – be stupid and in-love. I needed to believe that love like this was worth it again and I didn’t expect it to come from two kids.”

They were still swaying to the song as he spoke but, now she had both arms around his shoulders and his both around her waist holding her tighter to him.

“But, it did and – she died, and I was mad, because, she was a fighter – a survivor then she wasn’t anything anymore. And then I realized how selfish it was to think like that – to grieve their relationship the what if’s more than her.”

Claire had no idea their case had hit him that hard, though in her defense he hadn’t brought up since the last time she had and that was months ago.

She looked up at him, one of her thumbs was rubbing soft circles on the nape of his neck, she could see a small pool of tears just under his irises.

“You know I think she’d be okay with that – honestly I think she’d be happy to know that she was part of the reason why someone started to believe in love again, that’s all she wanted, to be loved, in every form, in any possible combination and she knew she had it. She would have been ecstatic to share it.”

She felt his breath hitch a little bit, he took her hand again pushing her softly to spin her under his arm, soaking up her laughter, her smile, her voice still in his ear.

“I wish I could tell her,” he whispered a little while later.

“Yeah me too,” she agreed.

After that they didn’t talk anymore, they just danced – and might have made out like a couple of love drunk teenagers but, they both knew love drunk teenagers wasn’t the worst thing someone could be in this world – in fact, if there was anything in this world they wanted to be right now – it was exactly that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hoped you guys liked it! Thanks so much for reading and as always let me know what you think!


	13. Mornings Off

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so this is a whole lot of fluff but, I will warn it gets pretty mature for a minute there so just be aware -   
> (if you typically skip over stuff like that you can without missing any of the plot) :)

Neil woke to bright sunbeams in his eyes, and more rested then he’d felt in days – maybe there was a method to Claire’s madness when she sent him to bed at eight p.m. on the night before his day off, a night he had planned to spend tracing every line of his wife’s skin with his lips but, she was not having it.

“You know Shaun doesn’t keep secrets,” she had told him when he complained that night.

“I never asked Murphy to keep a secret, I just asked him not to tell-,”

“Tell me what, that you’ve barely slept in the last week or that you constantly on edge and worried. Or that you’re thinking about taking time off?”

He started to open his mouth but stopped, instead he went around the kitchen counter and wrapped her up in his arms. He knew she was worried about him – she had every right to be not only was she his wife he had been off lately.

“In my defense, I told Park that last part I didn’t know Murphy was in the room.”

He was behind her but, he could see the slightest smirk on the corner of her lips, he bent down to kiss her cheek and agreed to go to bed with plans of seduction forming in his head for what he was going to do when she eventually came to bed herself – but that was short-lived he fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow and slept harder than he had in weeks.

He tried not to move too much rolling over on his side putting his arm around Claire as lightly as he could. Catching a quick glimpse of the clock he sat up quicker. Grabbing his phone from his nightstand he felt Claire shift beside him as he got out of the bed.

“You know you're off today,” a tired voice reminded from underneath the covers.

He was standing by their dresser, in a somewhat hurried daze to find his pants, he looked back over at the bed where Claire was now sitting up with a smirk on her face.

Neil took a moment though rested he was still tired and a bit out of it, going from thinking he was running incredibly late to realizing he had the whole day.

It didn’t take Claire by surprise when a grin grew on his face, and he practically pounced on top of her with a content sigh, pinning her down against their mattress. He peppered kisses all over her face, relishing in every giggle and sigh.

At one point he was distracted by the feel of her skin under his skin, she took the opportunity to push him over and straddle him letting him slip his shirt off of her. Bringing her closer to him kissing the space between her breast.

“Wait,” she said suddenly pushing him back.

He stopped, moving back he found her eyes she was looking at the clock, then found her eyes found the door.

“It's quite,” she sighed.

“Too quiet,” he agreed with a sigh.

She crawled off of him, picking up the shirt from the floor and slipping it back over her head. She extended her hand and he took it, letting her lead him off the bed, out of their room, and down the hall. They put their ears up against the door they came to.

She opened it slowly.

Their unusually quite four-year-old was still fast asleep in his bed with his stuffed alligator tucked under his arm. Claire looked at her husband and shrugged, deciding to let their little one sleep – it may or may not have been her that had become victim to those big brown eyes last night and let him stay up much later then he should have.

She closed the door softly.

As soon as the door shut, she saw that hungry look return to Neil’s eyes. Apart of her wanted to lean into him push him up against the wall but – the other part of her thought it might be fun to make him work for it so just as his hand started reaching for her waist she took off down the hall with a stifled giggle – hearing him curse under his breath.

She almost tripped running down the stairs but, made it by an inch. His heart literally fluttered when he heard her laugh – he reached out for her missing her by an inch with a groan.

“Neil Melendez has gotten slow,” she teased running around the kitchen counter, stopping.

He came to the other end trying to gauge which direction she might go.

“Slow? Oof that cuts deep baby,” he complained, pretending to be out of breath.

Her eyebrows danced up and down, teasing him – when she took off he followed hoping to catch her on at the head of the counter but, he missed her again by a split second fueling her even more. She went through the living room letting out a stifled shriek when he jumped over the couch and ended up in front of her. She had turned on her heels but, he caught ger waist this time she really did shriek when he pulled her against his chest one of his arm holding her at her waist while the other started on her waist and went down her hip, down to her bare thigh.

Her head fell back against his shoulder with closed eyes and a tired smile as his stroked grew slower. He hummed in her ear, kissing her cheek. Switching his arms so that he was holding her to him right underneath her breast giving him more room, his free hand found its way under the fabric that covered her from her torso to the top of her thighs he moved his hand over her stomach, and then further down he somehow managed to waste no time while also taking his time his fingers split under the band of her panties and her breath hitch. One of her arms rested on his squeezing his wrist – he knew what she wanted.

“I’m slow now – might as well live up to the reputation,” he teased.

She groaned with her face buried in his neck. She practically fell apart when his fingers traced her bare clit, moving further down before dipping into her, he took them in and out slowly.

“Neil,” she breathed, still maintaining a death grip on his wrist.

He had to keep himself from unraveling when she started moving with the rhythm of his fingers but, he didn’t stop – or go any faster much to her frustration.

As his fingers moved inside her the hand that held hers on top of it grabbed her breast tightening and loosening his grip at the same speed of his fingers. Her free hand side gripped his sweatpants tightly to keep her balance. 

Her breaths became labored as he was bringing her closer.

“Neil,” she pleaded.

“What’s the magic word.”

She couldn’t see his face, but she knew it was dripping with cockiness.

“Please-,”

“Nope.”

“You’re the worst,”

“Not even close,” he whispered low into her ear. 

She couldn’t help but laugh at that a companied by a frustrated groan.

“You Neil Melendez are the fastest person I know want the best I’ve ever had.”

He thought about her answer started moving his finger faster and she hummed with delight.

As he moved his fingers two fingers in and out at quicker speed she adjusted to his speed. Moving his thumb against her clit with few strategically placed stokes and she was over the edge. Breathing rapidly, Claire’s weight fell against him his fingers left her to hold her steady she turned around to face him.

"The word was actually bowling but, faltery is my kryptonite," he revealed, with a sly grin.

she scoffed, rolled her eyes at him, and shook her head. But, she could make him pay for that later so she moved past it pulling him down for a kiss without any more hesitation, he took her hands from his arms and put them around his neck so he could pick her up taking her back through the living room to the kitchen counter setting her down softly. Her legs wrapped tightly around his waist – until they dropped when a loud Mama echoed through the room.

They turned around to see Nicky standing on the stairs his alligator still under his arm, one leg of his Spider-Man pajama pants over his knee, Jet black curls cascading off his head and one hand rubbing one of his big green eyes.

“Hey baby,” Claire greeted pushing Neil over to the sink to wash his hands and quickly jumping down from the counter pulling down her shirt.

“Did you sleep well?” she asked, scooping him up in his arm.

He giggled as she planted kisses on his cheeks. And then put him down, on the kitchen floor. Neil was drying off his hands unaware his wife was whispering something into his son’s ear.

Neil turned to his family after his hands were dry and started taking a step towards them and they split. He groaned as identical giggles filled the air as his wife and son ran through the living room and chased after them.

Nicky screamed when his dad caught him just past the couch and threw him over his shoulder.

“You think you can run from me?” he asked tickling his stomach.

“Mama’s idea,” he tattled through laughter.

“Oh it was Mama’s idea?” he asked, holding him at his hip now.

His boy nodded, Neil kissed his cheek, “Well then I think we should teach mama a lesson,” he decided, putting him down, Nicky smiled up at him liking the idea.

“Well she’s already got a head start,” he said kneeling down, Nicky climbed onto his back.

“Ready?”

“Ready,” he agreed.

Neil stood up eyeing Claire, who was halfway hiding behind the wall, running past them.

“Go, daddy, go!” Nicky charged with bright eyes.

Neil ran after Claire this time with his son hanging on his back – they chased her to the backyard corner her by a tree. He let Nicky down so he could catch her.

“I got you, mama,” he announced with a sly grin that could only be described as _‘there is no way in hell this kid isn’t Neil Melendez’s son.’_

Claire looked down at her baby, “ – or do I have you,” she challenged pulling him off her leg upside down over her shoulder.

He laughed and squirmed but, it was no use especially when his dad joined taking him from his mom so she could blow raspberries on to his stomach making his laughter echo through the yard.

Claire spent the rest of the morning chasing and being chased by her boys through their yard, into the house, and back into the yard again where Neil had the hoes ready soaking her and Nicky in the water when they rounded the corner back into the yard for the third time. The commotion grew as water-soaked them Neil’s laughter echoing over their excited cries.

****

“What’s going on over there,” Mr. Clark asked his wife, with a chuckle.

She came over to the window, from the other side of the quest bed they were making for their daughter and her husband who like the rest of the family was coming down to celebrate their fiftieth wedding anniversary this weekend.

The second-floor window looked directly into their neighbor's yard and though Mrs. Clark didn’t like to admit she had a habit of poking her head out the window every now and then – she did it with all their neighbors but, only on occasion.

A smile stretch across her face as she looked into the backyard her Husband had been referring to. There was faint laughter she watched the mom scramble to scoop their little boy with, high knees and closed eyes as her husband turned the water hose on them doubled over in laughter. Mrs. Clark smiled as she watched the little boy run over to his dad and push him with all his might – the doctor – she believed they were both doctors actually. Fell slowly to the ground with mock defeat letting his son climb over him, his wife joined him on the grass not much longer. He leaned over to give her a kiss but she avoided it. Mrs. Clark could see his dismayed expression from a house over and saw as it turned from that to, determination he rolled on his side and took her by the waist planting kisses all over her face.

Mrs. Clark leaned into her husband’s side with a knowing smile – as she watched the young family for just a little bit longer – long enough to see what had probably been the product of the boy complaining about the kisses. The couple sat up each grabbing one of his sides and brought him in-between them both tickling and kissing every part of him while his laughter resonated all the way through her window. This time when the husband leaned in to kiss her she didn’t protest kissing him back with a smile, he adjusted himself so she could lay her head on his chest they let the boy get up to run around and watched him play in each other’s arms.

Mr. Clark closed let go of the blinds and kissed his wives’ head.

“You miss that?” he asked.

“Everyday,” she responded.

Her eyes glanced over to a picture of the now-grown kids on the dresser.

“But, I think we made the most of the time we had,” she said looking up to him.

He nodded with a smile that was reserved for her. one that hadn’t dulled or faded in fifty years. It was the same kind of smile he saw on the younger man’s face, laying in his yard with his wife in his arms he didn’t know the family well – part of him thought they should change that – but, for now, he was content to pray to whoever was listing that, that younger man he just watched would end up as lucky as he had been by, the looks of it he already was – and Mr. Clark got the impression he wasn’t going to be letting go of that – of her, or that boy ever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really hope you guys enjoyed this one it was actually pretty fun to write - I've been wanting to write them from others perspectives and just never really did it but, I thought this shot would be a great one for that so I hoped you liked that let me know if you would like to see more of that and just what else you would like to see/what you thought about it just, in general, I always love hearing from you guys - thanks again for reading!!

**Author's Note:**

> Here is the first of hopefully many one-shots I hope you all liked it and give me feedback and suggestions for more prompts!


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